Fire and Lightning
by Purple256
Summary: This is the story of Onmund, the Nord mage at the College of Winterhold, and his blossoming friendship with a particular Breton fire mage, Danielle. It chronicles his early days at the College and his experiences learning magic.
1. College Students

**_Author's Note: For additional content that goes beyond this story, visit my Tumblr site called Fatasum.  
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**_This site will feature content that can't be posted here, such as interviews with the characters, visual scenes from the story, and other miscellaneous stuff!_**

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The carriage stopped at the gates of Winterhold and the young Nord mage, Onmund, looked up to see a sleepy little winter town up ahead on the road. Having packed a meager amount of supplies in a hide sack, it was easy to carry up the several hundred steps up into the town. There was a light snow falling, but judging from the white caps that he could see upon the waves of the sea far down below, he knew that the weather would worsen soon. He hurried into the town and made his way up the middle of it to reach the College before the sun went down.

He had been waiting for this moment all his life- to get into the College of Winterhold and be formally trained as a sorcerer in Destruction magic. His mentor, Frodrig, trained him in Novice- and Apprentice-level Shock spells so that he could satisfy the prerequisites of the College, and when he was greeted by a stuffy, weary elf mage in front of the College, he was able to show off his skills easily to her and be accepted into the gates.

The road up to this point in his life, though, wasn't easy. As a Nord, he was brought up by his parents to become a hunter. They couldn't understand why he had become so interested in magic so early on, and was so adamant about reading about it and learning how to use it. Neither could anyone else around him- his relatives, or his peers. Magic was for the weaker races, like the elves. Nords were supposed to be good with their hands- heavy labor and muscle-building battle was what they were born for. But try as they might, Onmund's parents could not charm their curious and quirky son into the life of a hunter or warrior. Studying history and the arcane arts was his true passion.

Thus, was his dream to become a mage. He began seeing an elven Expert sorcerer in Destruction magic named Frodrig who began mentoring him when he was a teenager. His parents didn't approve but by this point, they had all but given up on trying to convince him to give up on his dream. Frodrig was a former student of the College himself, and provided all of the tools and knowledge that he knew that Onmund would need to be accepted.

And accepted he was! The elven gatekeeper who had tested him, Faralda, told him to go right on into the campus and find someone by the name of Mirabelle Ervine, who was the headmaster of the College. He remembered crossing a very narrow wind-swept stone bridge that looked like it had seen better days. In fact, he remembered fearing for his life as he crossed it, since some of it had crumbled away. He then headed through the metal gates into the immense stone building and emerged into a courtyard of sorts. It was a large, circular outdoor area with a path running straight down the middle to what looked like a well, and some kind of glowing energy beam was shooting right up from it into the sky. Beyond it was a larger-than-life statue of a young mage in billowy robes and arms outstretched in front of it. It was an awe-inspiring sight. Around the edges of the circular courtyard were covered walkways and doors leading into the walls within. He walked ahead of him to admire the statue. Some might call it foreboding, but to Onmund, it was a welcome sight. Already, he felt powerful and confident. He was finally pursuing his passion once and for all, with no one to hold him back. He saw a pair of double doors in front of him, and decided that this was the main entrance into the College, so he went through them.

Once inside, he found himself face to face with some of the College's inhabitants. "Greetings!" one of them declared, and walked up to him. It was a middle-aged Breton lady with short dark brown hair and dressed in dark blue and purple robes. "You're one of the new students, I presume?"

"Uh, yes," he replied a little nervously. "I'm Onmund."

"Welcome, Onmund," she said. "My name is Mirabelle Ervine. I am the Master Wizard at this College. We were just talking about welcoming the new students, and you are the second one to arrive. Let me introduce you to everyone here." She then proceeded to nod towards the decorated Dunmer mage to her right. "This here is Savos Aren, the Arch-Mage, one of our most accomplished wizards at the College." She then nodded to her left, towards an old man wearing Master Robes. "And this is Tolfdir, professor of the School of Destruction. You are entering the School of Destruction, are you not?"

"Yes, ma'am, I am," Onmund replied.

"Then Tolfdir will be your professor," Mirabelle said. "There will be plenty of time for you to get acquainted, but for now, let me show you to your new quarters here, where you will be staying for the rest of your enrollment period here."

She then proceeded to lead Onmund back outside, and they went across the courtyard to a side door. She opened it and led him in. They were in some large, circular room with little bedrooms along the edge of the circle. "This here is the Hall of Attainment. You, along with the other Destruction students and Tolfdir stay on this floor." She then led him to the bedroom to the left of the stairwell. "This will be your room. There's a bed, a wardrobe, and everything else you need. In your wardrobe you will find your College uniform. I suggest that you put them on right away so that everyone knows who you are. Any questions?"

"What's upstairs?" he asked.

"The living quarters of the Illusion students," Mirabelle answered.

"Ah."

"Well, I will let you get settled in for now," she said. "Instruction won't begin until the enrollment period is over which is in three days. Expect some more students to fill this hall so you will have some peers." She smiled, but it wasn't necessarily a warm one.

"Thank you."

With that, Mirabelle left him and he was alone again. He looked all around him at his humble abode. The bedroom wasn't much- about the size of his bedroom at home, but the ceilings were very high in this place. He opened up his wardrobe and found a set of blue and tan robes and a hood. Immediately he put them on and they fit perfectly. The hood was a little hot but he liked how it partially obscured his face. It made him feel mysterious and powerful…like a _real_ mage. He saw a pair of long boots next to the wardrobe that reminded him of the boots that he saw mages wear, so he put them on, too, surmising that it was also part of the College uniform.

Then, a random thought popped into his mind. _I wonder if I'll run into any other Nords here, _he wondered. So far, he noticed that he towered over everyone he had encountered so far, including the Arch-Mage and his professor. _And three days until instruction begins, huh? The wait is sure going to be an onerous one. _He went out of his room.

"Oh, hello," a cheerful, female voice rose up. "You must be one of the new Destruction students."

Onmund looked up to see someone approaching him from the other side of the room, dressed in dark blue robes and a dark blue hood. As she came closer, he saw that she was a Dunmer, with dark, gray skin and large red eyes. Judging from the youthful sound of her voice and her smooth-looking face, he surmised that she was about his age. He supposed that she was one of the prettier-looking Dunmers, but he couldn't know any better.

"I'm Brelyna," she said and shook his hand.

"Onmund," he said. "You must be the other new student Mirabelle was referring to."

"Yes…well, sort of," she replied. "I had joined the College around this time last year, but I had to go back home after about six months on account of my brother falling ill. I enrolled again with the hopes of being accepted back, and…I was! So where are you from?"

"I come from Falkreath," he answered.

"It's such a surprise to see that a Nord has joined the College!" she gushed. "I mean…this is the first time that I've met one that wasn't…well, you know…"

"Big, and brawny, and carrying an axe?" he joked.

Brelyna laughed. "Well…those weren't going to be my exact words, but…it's one way to put it! Welcome."

"Thanks."

They spent a little more time getting acquainted. Onmund liked Brelyna; she was very nice. He learned that she was officially an Apprentice-level Sorcerer, hence why she wore the dark blue Apprentice Robes. Onmund's robes were Novice Robes; even though he was referred to as an "apprentice," he would be treated as a Novice mage until the time came when he would eventually have to take a test in order to become a full-blown Apprentice Sorcerer. Brelyna was sure that he would pass the test since he already knew Apprentice-level Shock spells. After they talked, Onmund retreated to his room to eat the cold sandwich that he had brought. The College provided the students breakfast, lunch, and dinner and there was a little dining room within the living quarters, so he knew that he would take advantage of it starting tomorrow.

It was the end of Onmund's first night at the College of Winterhold, and he went to bed excited for the many days of surprises and lessons to come.

The next day passed by mostly uneventfully, with the exception of the third new enrollee in the Destruction School arriving. It was a male Khajiit named J'zargo, and he was a talkative one. He took a liking to Onmund, and together they had lunch and dinner at the table on the second floor of the Hall of Attainment. Like him, he was a newbie to the College but knew some Apprentice-level Shock spells, and he was eager to move up the ranks and master everything there was to know about Destruction magic.

The next day, Brelyna showed Onmund and J'zargo the Hall of Elements, which was the main hall that Onmund went into on his first day. She showed them the training area, which had another one of those well-like edifices that was spewing out the bluish beams of light into the sky. Brelyna explained to them that the blue beams of light were "a mysterious form of energy." She couldn't explain to them what the energy was or where it came from because she didn't know, but all she knew was that they were "essential to the College's health and infrastructure." Before long, Onmund would learn that these energies flowed in multiple places throughout the campus.

The training room was another large circular room, and along its outer edges were multiple hovering points of light that twinkled. Brelyna explained that these were "absorption points" and that it was "safe to direct all magic at these points." She proceeded to demonstrate by casting a Sparks spell and directing it right at the point of light, and the two other young apprentices saw that no harm had been done on the walls or the floor close to it.

"So when you practice spells, do it in here and direct them at those absorption points," Brelyna explained.

"Has anyone ever damaged the walls accidentally by poor aim?" J'zargo asked in his thick Elsweyr accent.

"It's happened," Brelyna replied. "And luckily, _I_ haven't heard of anyone who has been severely injured during training. But I need to tell you guys that you can't use any spells yet. Not until Tolfdir says. He will explain everything to all of us eventually, including what I have told you."

"I imagine we'd get in trouble?" Onmund asked.

"Oh, yes," she nodded gravely. "There are strict rules here for when, where, and how you can practice your magic. And if you break any of them, there is severe punishment."

"What do they do?" J'zargo questioned.

"Well, you could get expelled from the College for one," she explained. "But if it's a minor offense, like say, being a little late to a class or something, then you just get a reprimand."

"Well," Onmund remarked. "I'll try to be on my best behavior then."

"What are all the rules?" J'zargo asked.

"Oh, Tolfdir will give us the official Rules and Regulations on our first day of training," Brelyna answered. "Believe me, there are _a lot_. We'll be required to study them during our off-hours."

"J'zargo can hardly wait to start using spells," the Khajiit said with a grin.

"Me neither!" Onmund agreed. "I wonder if it's going to be just the three of us?"

Brelyna smiled. "Who knows? I guess we'll find out for sure tomorrow!"

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_Onmund, J'zargo, Brelyna Maryon, Tolfdir, Faralda and other Skyrim characters, settings, and quest lines are Copyright Bethesda. I also employ dialogue directly from the game in some places throughout the story. However, everything else is purely from my imagination. I employ some creative license in this story, especially when it comes to settings, environments, and some quests so some aspects may not match the game exactly. This is just one unique take on the College of Winterhold environment.  
_


	2. First Lessons

The enrollment period was now over and the first day of classes had come. Onmund couldn't have been more excited. Like a young boy being promised a dessert of warm sweet rolls, he felt hungry for all of the days ahead of him- for all of the learning and using spells. He was going to do his best to impress the teachers and elders and study as hard as he could so he could ace all of his exams. In no time at all, he knew that he could reach Apprentice-level like Brelyna and even go beyond that. But for the most part, he kept to himself all of his hopes and accomplishments. He was not exactly shy about his positive traits, but he was smart enough to know that his deeds would speak the loudest when it came to demonstrating his knowledge to others. Maybe that was the Nord in him. Therefore, he wasn't a braggart.

J'zargo, on the other hand, was very vocal about his achievements. He constantly reminded Onmund and Brelyna and any other person who would listen about how good he was with magic and how "acute and graceful" his senses were when it came to the arcane arts. If J'zargo weren't so charismatic and funny, Onmund would've felt like punching the cat in the face. But he tolerated the Khajiit's eccentric personality.

Brelyna was just the opposite. A very humble elf, she never touted her achievements to anyone. In fact, at times Onmund thought that she was downright insecure. She was a little clumsy and put herself down a lot, which was sometimes annoying to her two peers, but her sweet innocence made it hard for Onmund to dislike her.

So was the entire student body of the School of Destruction. Despite the hopeful talks that took place among the three apprentices, no more new students had arrived. That was okay with Onmund; so far, he liked the people that he had met at the College and they seemed to like him, so he was content.

The three Destruction students were called to the Hall of Elements late that morning to begin their first day of instruction. As they entered the great hall, they met up with Tolfdir at the outer edge of the circle. There was someone standing with him, and this person was dressed in Novice Robes.

"Welcome, students!" Tolfdir greeted them as they approached. "Come gather 'round. I am happy to inform you that we have just acquired a fourth addition to our class. Her name is Danielle and she comes from Daggerfall."

_A Breton, huh? I was hoping I wouldn't be the only Nord here, but I should've known better. _Onmund looked at the new student as she gave a meek smile to all of them. Her head was partially bent down so it was hard to study her features, but the first thing that he noticed was how _small_ and frail-looking she was. She must've been no more than five feet tall, judging from his standpoint. If she wasn't here at the College dressed in her mage robes, he would've thought that she was just a little girl.

"Let us begin," Tolfdir declared, and Onmund's attention was diverted away from the girl to his professor. "I am Tolfdir, Professor of the Destruction School, and I teach Fire, Frost, and Shock magic up to and including the Expert level. You will learn quickly how powerful magic can be. I can promise you that wielding such a power is unlike any other feeling you have ever experienced, and you will all go on to do great things with it long after I am gone. But…" he paused, and the other students shifted a little uncomfortably in front of him. "The first thing that you need to understand about magic, above everything else, is that magic is, by its very nature, volatile and dangerous. Unless you can control it, it can and will destroy you."

_He sounds kind of like my parents when they warned _me_ about the dangers of magic,_ Onmund thought wryly, stopping himself from rolling his eyes.

"Sir," Brelyna spoke up. "I think we all understand that fairly well. We wouldn't be here if we couldn't control magic!"

"Of course, my dear. Of course," Tolfdir said with a hint of annoyance. "You all certainly possess some inherent natural ability. That much is not being questioned. What I'm talking about is true control, mastery of magic. It takes years, if not decades, of practice and study."

"Then what are we waiting for?" J'zargo broke in. "Let's get started!"

_Just what _I_ was thinking,_ Onmund thought. _I don't know if I should speak out just yet, though…_

"Please, please!" Tolfdir cried, appearing to lose his patience. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. Eagerness must be tempered with caution, or else disaster is inevitable. We must first talk about the very basics- the fundamentals of magic, and then we can get on with beginning to master it. I must teach you how to control your powers first, and _then_ we can practice."

Onmund couldn't help but feel like he was being talked to like a novice. _Surely, he doesn't think we just strolled in from the fields knowing completely nothing. _He couldn't hold back any longer. "But we've only just arrived here," he piped up. "You've no idea what any of us are capable of. Why not give us a chance to show you what we can do?"

Tolfdir's arms fell at his sides as if in surrender. Onmund knew that he knew that he was right. Tolfdir looked at each and every student, with the fire gleaming in all of their eyes, and he finally stopped at the fourth student who had yet to chime in with a comment- the little Breton, Danielle. "You've been quiet so far. What do _you_ think we should do?"

They all watched as the Breton shrugged and replied simply, "I think we should learn something practical."

Onmund had to admit, he wasn't expecting such a response from her. Her confident statement along with her clear, mature-sounding voice (it was that of a woman's and not of a little girl like he had somehow imagined) betrayed her petite frame.

Tolfdir gave a nod and folded his arms. "Very well. We are _all_ here to learn practical concepts. There is no question about that. I just need to be sure that I can trust you all to use your powers wisely and carefully."

For some reason, Onmund was now all fired up. He said, "Well, we're all pretty new at this, right? Let's just give it a chance. What's the worst that could happen?"

The other three students nodded and murmured agreement. The excitement was just too much to contain.

"All right, let's settle down," Tolfdir urged. "I suppose we can try something practical…"

Onmund noticed a shift in Tolfdir's countenance and thought, _Finally! We can get past the novice stuff and do something worthwhile!_

"In continuing with our theme of safety, we'll start with Wards. Wards are protective spells that block magic. I'll teach you all a ward, and we'll see if you can successfully use it to block spells, all right?

_Wards, huh? Not a bad start, I guess…_ Onmund thought. He only knew a basic ward, but he wasn't very good at it. Now was his chance to learn it correctly.

Tolfdir then proceeded to teach each of them the Lesser Ward spell. Brelyna was the only one who knew how to use it well, since she had learned before. But even after the initial demonstration, everyone knew how to do a basic ward correctly. He ended the class by instructing them to practice wards for the rest of the day, and also to tell them about their first field trip tomorrow. They were going to tour the ancient ruins of Saarthal to learn about the various applications of magic throughout history. This particular bit of news had Onmund very excited. Some of his ancestors no doubt used to live at Saarthal, so it would be a highly enlightening experience for him to actually go there and see the city with his own eyes.

Tolfdir left the four students alone in the hall with Phinis Gestor, whom he had introduced them to, who was an Expert-level Conjurer and whose turn it was to watch the Hall of Elements during the day to make sure everyone followed the rules. Phinis stayed out of their way, though, planting himself on one of the benches along the wall while the four Destruction students talked amongst themselves and practiced their Lesser Wards. Each took turns shooting each other with Shock spells and warding, with the exception of Danielle, who was the only one who seemed to prefer Flame spells. At one point, Onmund partnered up with her and they both took turns warding and firing at one another.

"You're an aspiring fire mage, huh?" he remarked. "Not too many of those around here."

"Uh huh," she replied. "I've always been fascinated with fire."

"It _is_ the most destructive," he said. "How long have you been studying it?"

"Fire? Just for a few months, but I've studied magic in general for years."

_Oh boy, it's a good thing I'm comfortable with warding,_ he thought nervously. _She seems to have good control with her Flames, but one can't be _too_ careful. _"It's good that you came in today," he spoke. "Otherwise, we would've had an odd number of students in the school."

"Are you from this region?" she asked.

"Yes, I am. From Falkreath. I'm the only Nord here. I'm a bit of an oddity, you might say."

"Yes, I _must_ say. Your people are not very fond of magic, I hear."

"It _is_ shunned by most. If it can't be swung over your head and used to crack skulls, most Nords want nothing to do with it. Magic is seen as something for elves, and weaker races." He then quickly added, "No offense, of course."

"Watch yourself," she cautioned, but then she gave him a playful smile.

"Hey, I didn't say anything about Bretons," he protested.

"Good..." she teased. "You are in a precarious position to be saying too much."

As she pummeled his ward with her Flames, he realized that all it would take is for him to lose his concentration and he would be toast. "Good point," he remarked and smiled. _This girl is a sharp one,_ he thought. For the first time during his stay at the College, he felt a sense of competition arising and it was from none other than the petite Breton, whom he began to think was kind of cute.

Finally, a day's worth of practicing wards, reading books, and lectures by the elders was over. The next day promised a whole slew of new experiences and practicing magic, and Onmund went to bed early that night exhausted but happy.

At 7AM sharp the next morning, Onmund met with the rest of the Destruction students and Tolfdir in the Hall of Elements. Then, they all headed out together to Saarthal, which was a few hours southwest of Winterhold. The journey was a smooth one, with clear weather and only a light breeze blowing. Still, the two women in the group shivered and huddled close to each other. Onmund laughed inwardly. _They aren't used to the alpine climates of Skyrim, I guess_. J'zargo seemed to be doing okay, though. Despite being from a much warmer region to the far south, he had thick fur to keep him warm along with his heavy robes. Either that or he was just pretending to tough it out.

They finally reached Saarthal in about three hours. Having once been a great city, it was now nothing but a buried ruin- a fortress of windblown ice and snow. The group descended into the pit that had been dug out by earlier excavators which revealed a large, iron door.

"And here we all are!" Tolfdir announced. "Shall we step inside?"

"I'm ready!" Danielle declared.

"Let's go!" Onmund declared.

"All right, please stay close to me while we're inside," Tolfdir said. "It should be safe, but it's always better to be cautious."

With that, the five of them entered the ruin. It took awhile for their eyes to adjust to the dim light. It was a stark contrast to the view outside, which was nothing but blinding white as far as the eyes could see. In here, it was much darker. Tolfdir grabbed a torch off the wall and began carrying it in front of him. "Can everyone see? Let's proceed."

As everyone followed the professor deeper into the ruin, a different feeling began to seep in than his initial excitement this morning and the day before. As he looked at the cold, stone walls around him and breathed the strong, musty scent hanging heavily in the air, he finally realized what this place really was. _This is a crypt! There are dead bodies in here, and they're probably the bodies of my ancestors!_ Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and the others looked at him curiously.

"What is it, Onmund?" Tolfdir asked, holding the torch in front of him.

"I'm not so sure we should be here," he said uncertainly.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Tolfdir continued.

"This…this is a crypt," he replied. "A place for the dead."

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_Danielle is an original character created by me. In my game, she is the Dragonborn, but for the purposes of this story, her Dragonborn aspects are not brought up at all._


	3. Under Saarthal

"Oh," Tolfdir shrugged him off. "There's nothing to be afraid of, young man. Just stick close to me and we'll be fine. Now...as some of you may know, Saarthal was one of the earliest Nord settlements in Skyrim..."

Onmund began to tune him out as worry began to take over. He had heard stories about these crypts in his childhood. In fact, he used to fear them greatly. When he was a boy, the kids in his village would play cruel games with each other that would involve going into Shriekwind Bastion, a ruin near his village, and scaring each other there for fun. Sometimes they would dare one another to venture inside alone and spend half an hour or more inside the crypts before coming out and declaring victory over fear. It was sort of a rite of passage among the young Nordic boys. All except for Onmund. He was a small, quiet kid, and preferred the company of books to the company of a bunch of rough, rowdy boys playing Trolls and King of the Mountain. That was how he had developed an interest in magic in the first place. But there was a time when he was eight years old, when he got involved with the rough boys in the neighborhood and was coaxed into going into Shriekwind Bastion by himself. He remembered being shut into the dark ruin all by himself, and he was to stay there for exactly half an hour, not a minute less. He remembered sitting there, on the floor, not feeling scared at all until he remembered something he had read in a book. Necromancers liked to venture down into crypts and experiment with dead bodies, bringing them back to life so that they were nothing but zombies for them to control. The book had some chillingly realistic-looking illustrations, and one of them came to mind. It was an image of an undead creature, a Draugr, and its head was nothing but a rotting remnant of what it had been in life, with a gaunt face and black gaping eye sockets, the skin falling off the cheeks like paper. Little Onmund was about to stand up to listen at the door for the other kids when all of a sudden, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and heard an ugly snarl in his left ear, causing him to let out a bloodcurdling scream and turn around, now face-to-face with the dreaded Draugr…except that it was actually Kodnar, the blacksmith's son, with mud smeared all over his face. And with a dumbfounded Onmund staring at him, Kodnar broke into raucous laughter, pointing at the silly, little kid who fell for a stupid prank. Onmund remembered not wanting to punch the wily kid in the face, but rather, to cry. And cry he did, and ever since then, he had a very rough childhood.

Onmund put the bad memories out of his mind as he followed Tolfdir and the other students into a very large and tall room, with rickety wooden steps and bridges leading down to the ground floor.

"What are we looking for?" Brelyna asked the professor.

"Anything! Anything at all that might be of interest. We're particularly interested in the prevalence of magical seals placed on the tombs here. It's rather unlike anything we've encountered. That's why I adore this location...we have no idea what we're going to find. And if, along the way, my message about the dangers of magic should happen to sink in for a few students, that would be a happy coincidence."

_The dangers of _magic_?_ Onmund thought wildly. _That's the _least_ of our worries right now. _"Uh, Tolfdir…are you're sure this excavation was-"

"Don't touch that!" Tolfdir suddenly snapped, not looking at him.

Onmund followed his stern stare to J'zargo who was looking back at the group in embarrassment. Beside him was a large urn that had broken into two pieces.

"It was already broken when he touched it," the Khajiit declared. "J'zargo is not making any trouble."

"Nonetheless, please refrain from touching anything until I have a good look at it first," Tolfdir said. "There are many priceless items to be found in these ruins, and we want to make sure they are preserved in their original state as much as possible."

_There's more to this place than its priceless items,_ Onmund wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut. He knew that he couldn't possibly talk Tolfdir into leaving the crypt now, but he hoped that the other students would understand what they were dealing with and that they could find whatever they were looking for in here and leave as quickly and quietly as possible.

As they continued on through the ruin, though, Onmund's worries about the other students only got worse. J'zargo was so fascinated with everything he found. He couldn't seem to keep his paws off of anything. Whenever Tolfdir wasn't looking or too busy blathering on about history, he would run his claws along the walls or pat some object. There was one instance where he picked up an amethyst, admired it for a few seconds, and put it back down all without Tolfdir even noticing. It took all of Onmund's will not to lash out at him. Brelyna was starting to try his patience, as well as Tolfdir's at certain points. She lived up to her self-declared clumsiness by tripping over things and knocking over objects as they trekked through the narrower and darker corridors. Fortunately, she didn't knock over anything valuable or sacred and she didn't break anything, but she was really starting to put everyone on edge. And the Breton girl, Danielle…Onmund wasn't so sure what to make of her. All he could see was that she seemed scared out of her mind of the whole place. She looked like a frightened mouse, retracting close to herself and speaking very little, if at all during the whole trip. He was about to think of a lighthearted comment to say to her to try to get her to ease up when Tolfdir clapped his hands and said, "All right! Let's all split up now. I have assignments for each and every one of you for the remainder of this excavation." He turned to Danielle and said, "Danielle, why don't you see if you can assist Arniel Gane? He's one of our scholars, here working on cataloging our finds."

"Yes, Tolfdir," she said obediently, still appearing uncomfortable.

"Onmund, why don't you see if you can find some books that we can take back to the Arcaneum?" Tolfdir continued.

Onmund sighed. "All right." _I'm not touching any dead bodies, though._

Everyone went off to do their assignments, and Onmund wandered off to go do what he was told.

About half an hour had passed, and Onmund didn't find any books that were in good enough condition to take back to the College. They were either all tattered and torn or completely destroyed in some other manner. He was beginning to get tired of wandering around in these ruins and was ready to go see if the others had any luck in accomplishing their assignments when a shrill scream broke through the air. He jerked his head up in fear. _Oh no … _He tore through the maze of corridors trying to find the source of the scream, almost getting lost a couple of times. He ran every which way, frantically searching the rooms for any sign of trouble or evildoing and calling out names. "Tolfdir! Danielle! Brelyna! J'zargo! Where are you?"

Finally, he bumped into Brelyna. "What's going on?" he frantically questioned. "Is everyone all right?"

"I don't know!" she cried. "I just heard a scream, that's all. I was trying to find whoever it was."

They both then broke into a run again and tried to locate the others. They finally found J'zargo and Arniel who were also very worried. Together, they attempted to look for the last two missing members of their party. They first came upon a circular room with dead bodies strewn all over the floor. Brelyna gasped. "What happened here?!"

Onmund examined one of the bodies closely. Its body was lying about five feet away from the nearest coffin and was contorted in an unnatural manner. Immediately, his blood ran cold. _Draugrs…they have awakened…_ "We need to find Tolfdir and Danielle!" They then hurried through the next room and the next, finding more dead Draugrs and getting more and more worried by the instant. Finally, they began to hear voices.

"It's them!" Arniel cried, and they all followed the sound.

Everyone screeched to a halt when they saw what was in the next room. Up ahead, the most spectacular thing Onmund had ever seen lay in front of them. It was a giant whirlwind of bluish light, and in the center floated some kind of giant, glowing orb.

"Will you look at that?" Arniel breathed.

"Wow…" Brelyna uttered.

Suddenly a voice snapped everyone back to reality. It was the voice of Tolfdir. "Tolfdir!" Onmund cried, and then he saw them. Tolfdir and Danielle were on the floor below, standing in front of the orb, completely mesmerized by it. As the four headed down to them, they suddenly heard the sounds of stones cracking and crashing to the ground.

"Is…is someone there?" Tolfdir looked up, and just as he saw the other four mages heading towards him and Danielle, Brelyna screamed, "Look out!"

Everyone sprang into action as a Draugr approached them. It was as Onmund had feared. As he ran to the edge of the steps to hurl Lightning Bolts at the creature, the others attacked, as well. But he was already beginning to notice that the creature didn't seem to recoil at all to anyone's attacks. Their attempts at trying to kill him were futile.

"Nothing seems to work!" Tolfdir cried, confirming Onmund's fear. "Keep it busy. I'll try to drain some of its power!" He then ran towards the whirlwind with the orb inside and began casting some sort of draining spell on it. The others tried to distract the Draugr by luring it to the edges of the room and pelting it with Shock and Flames, being careful not to get cornered. Suddenly, their efforts appeared to start working. The Draugr reeled back after Arniel's Storm Atronach pummeled it, and everyone began letting out a barrage of attacks to exterminate the thing. Finally, it collapsed onto the floor and disintegrated into a pile of ashes.

"It worked!" Tolfdir exclaimed. "Somehow this orb was powering the creature. Come see this thing that Danielle has found!" He led everyone closer to the orb. The great whirlwind surrounding it had now vanished, likely due to the energy having been drained out of it. The orb had strange designs on it, with many concentric circles and spirals outlined in black along the smooth, glassy surface of it. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"What is this thing?" Brelyna asked.

"I have no idea!" he answered. "But this is amazing. Absolutely amazing. The Arch-Mage needs to be informed immediately. He needs to see this for himself. I don't dare leave this unattended." He then looked at the orb and then at Danielle. "Danielle…can you return to the College and inform Savos Aren of this discovery? Please, hurry."

Danielle then left them, and Tolfdir gazed all around him. "What could this place be?" he pondered. He then looked back at Arniel, Brelyna, J'zargo, and Onmund. "If the rest of you wish to head back to the College, it is fine to do so now. I think we can call this a very successful excavation!"

Everyone with the exception of Arniel, who wanted to remain with Tolfdir, decided to head back. The three young mages managed to catch up with Danielle, who was on her way back to the College, as well, to talk to Savos Aren. It was late afternoon now.

"You know, J'zargo would've discovered the orb much faster if he was assigned to work with Arniel," J'zargo piped up, making sure Danielle heard him. She said nothing and just kept walking.

"I wonder what that thing could be?" Brelyna mused. "I envy you, Danielle, for making such an amazing discovery!" Still, Danielle said nothing and kept walking.

"We shouldn't have been disturbing Saarthal," Onmund muttered. "No matter what they found down there."

"Oh, come on," Brelyna assured. "We didn't actually touch or break anything in there."

"The dead do not care who walks among them," J'zargo said. "That's why they're dead."

At this, Danielle simply hung her head and walked silently on, seeming to ignore all of them.

_You guys just don't get it, do you?_ Onmund wanted to say. _They encountered those Draugrs and made a mess of the place. Doesn't that matter?_ He gave a great sigh. _Maybe this is why there aren't any Nords at the College. If they knew about the experiments that went on within their sacred tombs, they would flip!_

Back at the College, Onmund had some pent-up energy to release so he practiced with his Shock spells in the Hall of Elements. Being the lone Nord at the school was proving to be more problematic than he had thought. He didn't want to make any waves in his first days here, but he knew that he _had_ to speak his mind about the excavation. J'zargo was on the other side of the hall, also practicing his Shock spells and humming to himself. Just then, he noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. A third person had entered the hall and was now approaching him. He looked up and had to do a double-take because he didn't recognize her at first. It was Danielle walking towards him. "Hi, Onmund," she said quietly.

He could see her face clearly now, and he nearly faltered. _By the Nine, is that the frail little girl who got into trouble in the ruin today? What a pretty little face! _Her oval-shaped face was framed perfectly by her raven-black hair. Her black eyes, now looking more alert and lucid compared to before, shone like obsidian as she gazed at him. Her skin resembled the color and texture of clay. His voice caught in his throat for a second, but he managed to utter, "Oh! I…I didn't recognize you without your hood on."

She smiled at him and suddenly he felt his cheeks grow warm. _A smile like that can light up a whole room,_ he thought.

"I just wanted to tell you," she started, her expression becoming serious. "That I'm sorry about what happened earlier today, and I understand why you are upset about our excavation. You are right. We shouldn't have been digging around Saarthal like that. I had some strange feelings there. There is something definitely sacred and mysterious about that place. And I didn't go there searching for anything in particular when I stumbled upon that orb. I was simply following Tolfdir's instructions."

Onmund was taken aback by her words. He didn't expect a new student- much less a non-Nord to understand his view. But she seemed to really sympathize with him. He was already beginning to see her in a new light. "Well, I realize it wasn't your fault," he said quietly.

She smiled again, shyly this time, and then said, "Well…that was all I wanted to tell you. I'd better get going."

"Where are you going?" he suddenly asked. For some reason, he didn't want the conversation to end just like that.

"To the Arcaneum," she answered. "I do my studying there."

"Oh, I see," he said. "Well, maybe I'll see you there, sometime."

"Okay," she said, smiling again. "Take care."

"You too." Then, she walked off, and Onmund went back to practicing his magic.

"That was…Danielle?" J'zargo's voice piped up.

"Yeah," Onmund replied. "That was."

"She apologized to you about finding the treasure in the ruin? J'zargo finds that strange. If J'zargo made such a discovery, then he would be celebrating."

_Well, I'm glad it wasn't you then,_ he thought of saying, but didn't. "She's different, I guess."

"Fuh," he snorted. "Humans and their funny ways…" He then went back to his spells. As Onmund continued on practicing, he found himself thinking about Danielle long after she had left and the brief conversation that had taken place between them. There was just something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on- maybe it was her warm, non-threatening personality, but it made him want to see and talk to her again.


	4. Study Partners

The next day, he went down to the Arcaneum and found Danielle sitting down at a table, poring over some books. As he approached, she looked up and their eyes met. "Hi, there!" he greeted, and she smiled and replied, "Hello!"

"Whatcha studying?" he asked.

"Oh," she began and let out a sigh. "I've actually been trying to read the school rules and regulations. There are so many of them."

Onmund rolled his eyes and said, "Ugh, tell me about it. They're about as hard to decipher as ancient Nordic histories. Which ones are you having a hard time with?"

Danielle sighed. "All of them. I mean, does this one make any sense to you: 'Only practice spells which are in your particular school of magic.' Weren't we using wards yesterday? That isn't Destruction magic."

Onmund chuckled. "Yeah. That's a ridiculous one, isn't it? Tolfdir told us to practice those, though, so I guess it's all right. It would be tragic if they had to expel the entire School of Destruction for that, wouldn't it?"

Danielle laughed, which to Onmund sounded like the bubbling waters of a stream. "I guess so."

Just then, he thought of something. "You know, I'm not having much luck making sense of those rules either. How about you and I try to read through those together sometime? We could be study partners."

"That would be great," she replied, smiling.

"I'm scheduled for some training with Tolfdir for the rest of the day, but how about you and I get together tomorrow at this same time and we'll try to figure out those rules?"

"Okay!"

"Great. I will see you tomorrow, then!" As Onmund walked out, he felt a surge of confidence within him, and he excelled at training that day. As he left the training hall, a voice called out to him, and he turned around. It was Enthir, the older Bosmer Illusion student whom he had met briefly during the enrollment period. "Quite the skills you got there, kid," he said to him.

"Oh. Thanks," he replied, beaming.

"So what's your plans, Novice?" he asked. "Are you going to continue on with the more advanced arts after you graduate from the School of Destruction?"

"You mean like Illusion or Conjuration? I don't know, maybe."

"Think about it. I think you'd do well. And as a seasoned expert, might I advise that you practice as many skills as possible as soon as you can. Students that are well-rounded do best here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for instance, I could forge you your very own Storm Atronach that you can fight with. It's not exactly something Tolfdir will show you but that's because he only teaches Destruction spells. But it'll do you some good to learn other spells, as well."

"But isn't that against the rules?" he asked, thinking about what he and Danielle just talked about.

"You're talking about the rule that says you can only practice spells that are specific to your school, right? Take it from a veteran, kid, that one isn't strictly regulated. Even Tolfdir himself admits that rule is ambiguous."

"Really? Hmm…I _did_ get to catch a glimpse at what Arniel's Storm Atronachs can do. They seem pretty powerful!"

"See? You can do the same! For 1000 Gold I can go down into the Midden tonight and forge you one of these atronachs."

Onmund thought for a moment. All he had was a measly 200 Gold. "I-I don't have that much gold."

"Well, it doesn't have be gold, then," he said. "Got anything else? Maybe some scrolls or spellbooks you'd like to get rid of?"

"N-no. Nothing like that." He then tried to picture all of the things that he had brought in his rucksack from home. Suddenly, it hit him. "Hold on. I think I _may_ actually have something!"

"You can bring it tomorrow if you'd like," Enthir said. "There's no hurry."

"No, I've got something you'll like," Onmund insisted. "It's in my room."

"All right. I'll just wait here, then."

Onmund then dashed to his room in the Hall of Attainment and pulled out his rucksack from under his bed. He opened it up and poured the contents onto his bed. In the meager pile of dried, stale pieces of bread, fruits, a couple of books, and a hat, sat the very thing he was looking for. It was an amulet that he had brought from home, originally given to him by his grandfather when he was thirteen years old. It had a silver pendant hanging on a silver chain and encrusted in the center of the pendant was a faded blue sapphire. As he picked it up with his hands, he felt a slight pang in his heart as he thought, _My grandfather said that this had been in our family for generations. Should I really be giving this away?_

As he hesitated, he remembered his grandfather's words when he first gave the amulet to him. He had said, "Wear this in battle, and it will protect you from harm." Of course, Onmund had never been in a battle- at least, not in the traditional Nordic sense. Frodrig used to take him into ruins to practice his Destruction spells on Draugrs, but that was it. He knew that he would never be in such a battle, now. He had no use for the amulet. As his grandfather's words played over and over in his mind, he sighed and thought, _Sorry, Grandpa. This is completely wasted on me. Someone else will have a better use for it_. He then turned toward the door and took the amulet with him.

Enthir was very pleased with the item that he got in the trade and happily promised to forge Onmund his Storm Atronach. _I'll just keep this to myself, for now._ _Maybe some time when I'm alone in the training hall, I'll practice with my new atronach. I don't want the other Destruction students or Tolfdir seeing me using Conjuration spells just yet._

The next day, when Onmund was scheduled to meet with Danielle in the Arcaneum, he went down the steps into the library with anticipation. When he entered the large dim room full of books, immediately he heard some voices. As he drew closer to the table where he knew Danielle would be, the voices grew louder and more intelligible.

"There's really nothing wrong about what we're doing," a male voice was speaking. "It's just that the rules aren't very specific about what's not allowed. But I assure you, you won't get in trouble."

"That's okay. I'm not interested." Immediately, Onmund recognized this as Danielle's voice.

_What in the world are they talking about?_ he wondered and came closer to her table. He then saw her, sitting at the same table, and she was surrounded by four other students. They were older, and they were all standing around her.

"Why not? Afraid to experiment on your first days?" one of the students chided. "It's not like the elders will care."

"Please. I just want to be left alone, that's all," Danielle's firm voice rang out.

The four older students broke into sardonic laughter, and one of them said sarcastically, "Oh, come on. You don't have to be such a straight-edge."

Onmund immediately became incensed. _How dare they assault her?_ He emerged from where he was hidden and boldly demanded, "Hey! Leave her alone!"

Danielle and the four elves suddenly looked up at him in surprise. The elves then burst into laughter. "Oh, look! Another straight-edge comes to the rescue!"

Onmund nearly gasped as he recognized one of the elves as Enthir. Enthir seemed not to acknowledge him and laughed with the others. He mustered up some confidence and spoke, "D-don't you guys have better things to do…than to harass other students…while they're trying to study? Let her be!"

"Or else what?" It was now Enthir who spoke up.

"Or else I'll…I'll…" he was at a loss for words.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed from nearby, "Hey! What's going on over here?"

Just then, Urag gro-Shub, the ornery Orc keeper of the Arcaneum, appeared and gave them all very stern looks. "Don't you fellas know the rules? This is a _library_, not a _mead_ hall. People are trying to study in here. Out! All of you!"

Without a word, Onmund and the four elves obeyed and went their separate ways, but not before Onmund shot a menacing glare at them. As he sauntered out, he overheard Urag say to Danielle, "Sorry about that. They won't be bothering you anymore."

He opened the door and began climbing up the steps out of the Arcaneum. When he had nearly ascended the entire staircase, he heard someone call out behind him, "Onmund!"

He turned around and was surprised to see Danielle standing below him. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before uttering, "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For defending me," she said.

Her words sent a reverberation of warmth into his heart and he felt his face grow warm. He fidgeted with his hood and said as nonchalantly as possible, "Oh…it was nothing."

"Well, thank you, anyway."

He smiled and said, "You're welcome."

"Will you come back tomorrow to study with me?"

_Oh, yeah. I forgot that's what I came here for,_ he remembered. "Yes. If Urag hasn't banned me."

"He will forget," she assured.

"Okay. I will see you tomorrow, then."

She smiled and he watched as she descended back down the steps and then he continued on up.

The next day came, and Onmund went down to the Arcaneum to meet with Danielle. He brought his books with him, as well as the College of Winterhold Rules and Regulations. Relieved to see that she was alone and not being disturbed by those older students this time, he joined her at the table.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, giving him a look of surprise. At first, he wondered why she looked at him that way but then her next words made him realize why. "I almost didn't recognize _you_ without your hood on!"

Onmund chuckled, running a hand through his thick brown hair. "I guess I _do_ wear it most of the time. Even indoors."

Danielle gave him an amused smile and for the thousandth time, Onmund couldn't get over how pretty her smile was. _The girl's just pretty!_ he thought. As she turned toward her book, she lifted her hand to tuck some rogue tendrils behind her ear, and all Onmund could think was, _Endearing_. Her voice was gentle and soothing, and as they studied and discussed the literature at hand, he thought that no one else's voice could make those wretched College rules and regulations sound so good.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what did those four elves want yesterday?" Onmund asked her after they had read through a large chunk of the rules. "They sounded like troublemakers."

"Oh, they were up to no good all right," she replied, shaking her head. "They wanted to teach me necromancy…on a human!"

"What?! You're kidding…"

"They had heard about what had happened in Saarthal the other day, about those Draugrs coming back to life, and they…they wanted to use _me_ to experiment with their magic on them."

"That's terrible! They _are_ up to no good." _And Enthir is involved with that? Just great…_

"Yeah. They kept telling me, 'You have to learn all types of magic, to be a well-rounded student' and such. Can you believe that?"

Onmund reddened as the very same words from Enthir yesterday echoed in his mind. "I can't believe that…" he sputtered. "You, uh, responded well to their chiding." _I, on the other hand, was duped._

"Well, they still wouldn't leave me alone. That's why I'm glad you came in and did what you did." She smiled warmly at him and he felt like shattering into a hundred pieces. _If only you knew what I have already done…_ "So, um, did you see the visitor that arrived at the College today?" he asked, changing the subject.

"You mean that Thalmor agent?" she asked. "I think his name was Ancano or something."

"Yeah," he said. "Mirabelle and the others don't seem to be happy at all about his being here."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No. He claims to be here simply as an advisor but I know that no one really believes that. I've been trying to avoid him, honestly."

"Yes, he doesn't seem all that trustworthy."

In addition to the discussions about mundane school stuff, they also talked a little about their personal lives. Onmund told her a little bit about the challenges of being a Nord and having a passion for magic and he learned that Danielle was actually an Expert in Restoration magic. Up until she had arrived in Skyrim, she was studying to become a priestess. But she had begun to find such a life to be boring, which was why she had come to the College to learn something else- namely Destruction magic.

"I already know basic Flames," she explained. "But I would like to expand that skill."

"I'm hoping to become a jack of all trades," he said. "I want to master shock spells, but I also want to be good with fire and frost, as well."

When it came close to time to turn in for the night, they closed their books and put away their things. They walked back to the Hall of Attainment together, chatting away, and parted ways once inside. Now alone in his room, Onmund took off his boots and robes and put on his nightshift. He blew out his candle and then climbed into his bed, and then his thoughts began to wander. At first, he thought of Danielle and her smiling at him, and it gave him such a good feeling, albeit also one of shame for having been weaker than she was in his dealings with Enthir. She was incredibly smart and funny, and she found it hard to imagine her as a fire mage, going around setting things on fire and destroying things, and thought that she would've been well-suited as a healer. But he knew that wasn't what she truly wanted to do and he respected that very much. He was also very glad that she was in his class with him.

He then thought of his family. He wondered if they were thinking of him and if they even missed him. His father was a hard-working woodsman in the little village that he grew up in, working from dawn until dusk, sometimes venturing as far as the Druadach Mountains to the west to get the best wood for the village lumber supply. But because of this, Onmund hardly saw him, much less spent a lot of time with him. He used to be a nomadic hunter, but when he started his family and settled down in the village, he left that life for good. His mother was a farmer's daughter and a farmer, herself, also working from dawn until dusk tending the village communal farm. They were too poor to own a farm of their own, but were able to take a share of the communal farm's crops and survive on that. Onmund was the only child they had. They probably would've had more, but for most of his childhood, it took all of his parents' energy just to ensure his _survival_. He was not born healthy and was pretty much sickly for the majority of his young days until about the time when he turned seven. It didn't help that his family was poor and didn't have enough to eat and couldn't afford basic medicines and doctors. Thus, he spent most of his days indoors and sometimes confined to the bed, and he passed those days reading and nurturing his growing curiosity for the magical arts. He remembered his mother baking him apple pies to put a smile on his face, and they tasted so good. He had to admit, she knew how to make him feel better when he was sick or got hurt, and he missed the way she used to sing to him at night. He tried to put those thoughts out of his head now, because he realized that for the first time since he arrived here at the College, he was actually feeling the beginnings of _homesickness_. He didn't think that would ever happen. He rolled over in his bed and closed his eyes, and fell asleep trying to repeat the stories that Tolfdir had told him that day.

Onmund woke up and suddenly found himself in an open field. He recognized the Druadach Mountains to the west, and the sun was setting behind them. Completely disoriented, he looked all around him, trying to figure out what was going on. Just then, he saw his grandfather running towards him with a frightened expression on his face. "Onmund! Onmund!" he shouted.

"Grandpa!" he yelled and ran up to meet him. He felt as if he were a teenager again. "What's wrong?"

"There's an army of Forsworn bandits coming this way!" he cried. "Quick! Put on the amulet I gave you and be ready to fight!"

Onmund reached into his pocket to find the amulet that his grandfather had given him, and just then, his heart sank as he realized that he didn't have the amulet anymore.

"What's the matter?" his grandfather questioned worriedly. "Where's the amulet I gave you?"

"I…I don't have it anymore, g-grandpa," he stammered. "I-I…I gave it away…"

"_Gave it away!_" he shrieked. Before he could say anymore, a swarm of bandits came thundering onto the field like a stampede of horses, and Onmund opened his mouth to scream as they overtook his grandpa, but no sound came out.

"Nnnguh!" Onmund felt like he was choking and sprang into an upright position from his bed, cold sweat dampening his forehead. His heart was pounding as he stared wide-eyed into the darkness, save for the blue glow of the energy beam in the middle of the Hall of Attainment. _What a nightmare…_he thought wildly. _Why did I even dream such a thing?_ He lay back down on his bed and sighed. _I miss grandpa,_ he suddenly realized. He also realized another matter. _I never should've given away grandpa's amulet to Enthir,_ he knew. _Powerful atronachs or not, I have made a big mistake._ He covered his face in his hands in shame. _I need to get it back from him. He hasn't shown me my Storm Atronach, yet, so I may still have a chance to back out of our deal. There's just no question about it. I have to try!_


	5. Onmund's Problem

All the next day, Onmund went looking for Enthir to talk to him again. He was going to try to negotiate his grandfather's amulet back somehow. But he didn't _see_ Enthir until well after lunch, and he was busy with Mirabelle, who seemed to be having an intense private chat with him. Later, he learned that the two older elf mages who had harassed Danielle a few days before were expelled from the College. He never found out what they were expelled for, but being friends of Enthir's no doubt aroused suspicion about Enthir himself, and Onmund quickly learned that he never should have gotten involved with him in the first place. But it was too late now, and he had to somehow try to make things right between them and especially get his amulet back.

Despite his worries, the day did hit a positive note in the evening when Onmund sat down to study with Danielle again in the Arcaneum. She made such pleasant company that he almost forgot about his mission of the day. Almost. He was sure that his worries were visible upon his face when he met with her and it was confirmed when she asked him, "Is everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah," he responded as casually as he could muster. "Just overwhelmed with all of this studying we have to do."

She didn't pry any further and they went on with their discussions. They talked about their pasts again to each other and it was then that Onmund confessed to her how homesick he felt and how much he missed his family. However, he did not tell her about the amulet or his dealings with Enthir. Somehow, that was just too embarrassing. He imagined her reacting in the same manner as his grandfather did in his dream, staring at him in shock and disbelief, and then with a look of extreme disappointment and sadness as the swarm of bandits overtook him…

Onmund couldn't go to sleep right away that night. So he went ahead and let his candle burn a little longer and sat by his little table to read. Fortunately, as strict as the College was in all of its rules and regulations, there was no lights-out policy of any kind. One was just not allowed in the Arcaneum or training hall after a certain hour, but that was it. It was getting late, and Onmund was still lost in his book. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He looked up and could make out the form of someone walking across the center of the room towards the staircase. It was Enthir.

There_ he is!_ _Time to have a talk with him,_ he thought. He put his book down and got up. He hurried over to the staircase before Enthir disappeared up it. "Hey! Enthir!" he called out in a sharp whisper.

Enthir turned around and saw him. "What is it, Novice?" he asked impatiently.

"I want to talk to you about something," he whispered, so as not to wake the other students. "It's about our trade the other day."

"What about it?" Enthir questioned.

"I've changed my mind. I want my amulet back."

Enthir's eyes went wide and he whispered, "Are you serious? I told you that our agreement was final the minute you handed that thing over to me, Novice."

"I know. But you haven't forged anything yet, right?"

"Ha! And what if I did? Forget it, Onmund. A trade's a trade. You can't just change your mind like that."

"But you don't understand. That amulet's been in my family for generations!"

"Oh, isn't that a shame. Well, that's not _my_ problem. You should think about that next time you decide to make binding deals with people. I'm not budging."

"That's not fair, Enthir!"

"_Life's_ not fair. You'll do well to learn that early on. End of conversation."

As Enthir turned around to ascend the steps and left him standing there, Onmund's fists clenched and a growl escaped from his throat. But he didn't dare press the issue further. Enthir was an older student. He had a reputation for being a troublemaker and everyone knew to stay away from him. He didn't want to get deeply involved in a sticky situation with him. Frustrated and disappointed, Onmund turned around and retreated back to his room.

Onmund woke up the next day in a sour mood, but as the day wore on, he began to think less and less about Enthir and the amulet, especially when Danielle ran into him in the courtyard. "Hi, Onmund! Off to train again?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied. "But not for another thirty minutes since they're currently having a lesson in there. What are you up to?"

"I just got back from eating lunch," she replied.

"Oh, alright. Well, wanna go for a little walk?"

"Sure."

They took a walk around the perimeter of the courtyard. The air was crisp and cold, and a light snow was falling. The ground was blanketed with white and the trees were covered in it, as well. The snowberry bushes were dotted with red, ripe berries. For the first time, Onmund saw that it was a beautiful day.

"So how are you liking the College so far?" Danielle asked him.

"I'm liking it," he answered. "I've certainly learned more here than I'd ever expected to. And you?"

"I like it," she replied. "I am learning a lot here, too. So, are you getting along with everyone?"

Immediately, his mind went back to Enthir. "Oh…most of them. A few are kinda difficult but it's nothing I can't handle."

"Who is difficult?"

"Well…Enthir is one of them. He and I, I guess, sort of got off on the wrong foot but unfortunately, there's nothing I can really change about that."

"Enthir…he's that Bosmer I saw you talking to, right?"

Onmund looked at her and felt as if he had been pierced. She had such a look of earnest knowingness on his face, he felt like he had been caught. She knew exactly who Enthir was. As he stood there, pondering what to say to her, she confessed to him, "Last night…I heard you and Enthir talking. It's not that I meant to eavesdrop. It's just that…the noise woke me up."

He sighed. He might as well tell her. He didn't think anyone else would listen to him, but he had to remember that Danielle was the only true friend he had in this place and he'd do well to fill her in on things that bothered him. "Yeah. It's kind of a long story."

"Well, I don't have anything scheduled right now."

As she looked at him attentively, he began. "A couple of days ago, I entered into an…agreement with him. He agreed to forge me a powerful Storm Atronach if I gave him something in return. He had me convinced that I should learn as many shock spells as possible, even those _not_ involved in Destruction and I believed him." He looked Danielle in the face and said, "I know, I know. I was dumb and naïve. But anyway, I had given him something that I shouldn't have given him."

"What's that?"

"It was an amulet that had belonged to my grandfather," he said. "He had given it to me when I was a child, saying that it would protect me in battle. He had it given to _him_ by _his_ father- my great-grandfather when he was young. So basically, it was a symbol for the life that I knew that I'd never live- the life of a warrior. I had kept the amulet up until recently, and when Enthir wanted something valuable in return for the forged atronach, I didn't think twice before parting with it, since it served no purpose to me. But just recently…I don't know…even though I couldn't _use_ the amulet, it's still a family heirloom, you know? I may not be that close to my family anymore, but…I do find myself missing them. The amulet was my only reminder of them. And now it's gone…"

Danielle looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, Onmund. Have you…have you told him that? Told him how much it means to you?"

"Nah. He doesn't care, anyway. It's just an expensive piece of jewelry to him."

"I hope you will get it back, somehow."

Despite himself, he smiled. He then shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I've just learned my lesson, that's all. I don't want to raise a big stink over it, anyway. I guess I should have known better than to get involved with Enthir. Did you know that those two friends of his were expelled from the College?"

She shook her head in disbelief and rolled her eyes. "Yes." She then looked at him with a sympathetic expression. "Don't feel bad, Onmund. You didn't know who you were dealing with at the time."

For some reason, these words made Onmund feel ten times better. He then replied, "No. I didn't." He looked at her and smiled, thinking, _I wish I could stay here and talk to her all day. She has such an uncanny way of putting me at total ease. But...I can't get away with that. _"Well, I'd better get going to my training session. Thanks for listening to my story."

"Anytime," she said softly. "And…I want to thank you again for what you did in the Arcaneum a while back. That was very brave of you."

"Oh, no problem."

"I just wish…there was some way I could repay you."

He smiled at her. "Your friendship is all I need as repayment."

She smiled back, but didn't say anything. Her mind seemed to be somewhere else, now, but at this point, Onmund had no time to ask about it. They exchanged some brief parting words and then he went into the Hall of Elements by himself.

Once inside the training hall, he encountered Tolfdir, Ancano, and Savos Aren, who appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion.

"Ah, Onmund! Come in, come in," Tolfdir urged, gesturing towards him. As Onmund approached them, he turned to the other two and said, "This is Onmund, one of my students. He along with the other apprentices in my class discovered the orb down in Saarthal during our excavation there. Onmund, we were just about to head out to Saarthal again to dig it out. We hope to bring it back here to examine it more closely."

Onmund didn't know what to say. He found it pretty incredulous that the elder mages were going back down into Saarthal to unearth this thing and bring it back to the College. All he could manage to ask was, "Did you…find out what it is?"

"No," Savos Aren answered. "This is why we will need to bring it back here. It is an interesting artifact of arcane origins indeed. Urag is searching for any books that he can find that might mention this artifact."

"I think I'll come back later then," he said uncertainly. Now didn't appear like a good time to train.

"The training hall will be closed for the rest of the day, I'm afraid," Tolfdir said. "Phinis, Arniel, and Sergius will be going with us to Saarthal and we plan on working throughout the night. But tomorrow, it will be open again. Use this time to study up on your incantations!"

_Right, studying…_ He glanced at Ancano, who glared at him through his narrow, yellow eyes and thought, _I don't know why, but this guy gives me the heebie-jeebies every time I see him. _He left the three elders and went back to his room to get his books. He then went into the Arcaneum and sat at his and Danielle's usual table, except that it was too early before his study time with her so she wasn't there yet.

When he and Danielle finally got together for their usual study time, he told her about the events that had transpired in the training hall earlier that day. She was shocked.

"They're bringing that orb back here?" she gasped.

Onmund nodded. "They want to study it more closely, I guess."

"I guess this is the sort of research that goes on around here," she said. "But…I don't know…I have a bad feeling about it."

"You do?"

She nodded, and then she looked at him with a grave expression on her face, and he began growing concerned. "Onmund, can you keep a secret?"

He couldn't help but be astonished. He reacted by opening his eyes wide, but then he replied, "Yes. You can tell me."

She started hesitantly, "That day…when we were down in Saarthal, and I was doing that assignment with Tolfdir…I was told to gather items that had been enchanted. So there was this amulet that I had found in one of the rooms, and when I picked it up, Tolfdir and I became trapped in the room. We were trying to find a way out and he told me to try putting the amulet on, so that's what I did. And when I put it on, a door opened to a completely different part of the crypt. So we went down further that way and that was when the strangest thing happened."

"What?" Onmund asked.

"A man dressed in strange robes appeared to me. He claimed to be a monk from the Psijic Order."

"The Psijic Order!" Onmund exclaimed. "I've read about them! Didn't they mysteriously vanish a long time ago?"

"That's what Tolfdir had said," Danielle explained.

"Why did a Psijic monk appear to you?" he asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "But he said something to me that…was worrisome. He said that I had 'set in motion a chain of events that couldn't be stopped.'"

"Really? What sort of chain of events?"

"I have no idea. But just…be on your guard. I also need to tell you that I'm going to be gone from the College for a day or two."

"Gone?! Where are you going?"

"I have some…personal business to take care of out of town. I'll only be gone a short while."

"Okay…" Onmund wasn't sure if he should ask her what kind of personal business it was.

"I'll tell you all about it when I get back."

"All right. I understand." He didn't try to pry any further and she didn't offer anymore information. He was very curious, of course, but he knew that she would tell him in due time.


	6. Friendship

It had been two days since Danielle had been gone. He began to grow worried. He spent the morning alone practicing some Shock spells in the Hall of Elements when he heard a sweet-sounding voice behind him call out his name. He turned around and saw Danielle, and she was holding a cloth of some kind in her hands. "Danielle!" he cried and hurried to meet her. "You're back!"

She nodded solemnly. "And I brought something for you."

Before he could say anything, she pressed the cloth into his hands. He looked at her questioningly and she just looked at him quietly and expectantly. Curious, he unfolded the cloth, and lo and behold…he found himself looking right at his grandfather's amulet! His jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. "Danielle!" he exclaimed. "How did you…? This is…" Try as he might, he couldn't express what he felt right then. "My amulet!" he finally blurted, and lifted it up in his fingers by its chain. He studied it for a moment in disbelief, inspecting it from every angle, and then looked back at Danielle in total astonishment. "How did you get this?"

A mischievous smile spread across her face and she shrugged. "I simply made a deal with Enthir."

"Danielle," he uttered again. "You have no idea how much this means to me…Thank you!"

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile. She then turned around to walk away from him, but there was no way he could let her go this time. "Wait!" he exclaimed.

She stopped and looked back at him.

"Have you…eaten yet?" he asked apprehensively.

She shook her head.

"Would you like to go have lunch at the Frozen Hearth? It's my treat."

"I would love to."

Onmund beamed, and then he said, "All right. Let me go put this away. Should only take a couple of minutes. Come on."

She went with him to the Hall of Attainment, and she waited for him in the foyer as he put away his amulet. _I finally have my grandfather's amulet back!_ he thought happily. He knew that he would be sleeping much better tonight, all thanks to her. Then, he hurried back out to meet her and together they walked over to the Frozen Hearth.

The inn wasn't crowded so there wasn't a flurry of activity going on, but there were a few other people around enjoying the warmth. The two mages removed their hoods and shook the snow off of them and then took a seat at one of the corner tables. Haran came and poured them some hot tea before asking them what they wanted to eat.

"So what kind of deal did you make with Enthir that made him give up the amulet?" Onmund asked her, really wanting to know.

"Oh, well…" she hesitated. "He made me run an errand for him."

"What sort of errand?" he questioned.

She sighed, as if she were about to confess something. "He wanted some sort of magical staff," she explained. "It was located in a cave several miles to the southeast of here. He agreed to return the amulet to me if I went to go retrieve the staff, so I did."

Onmund was finally hit with the realization and his mouth opened wide before saying, "So _that's_ where you had been for the past two days. You…you went all by yourself?"

"Yes. I didn't want to tell anyone what I was doing. I wanted to surprise you. But I actually got in trouble with Tolfdir, who told me that I'm not allowed to venture out alone."

"I imagine it's dangerous. But…you did all that for me?"

She nodded quietly.

He looked at her, feeling a strong sense of gratitude and kinship. "No one's _ever_ done anything like that for me before. You have my eternal gratitude."

Haran brought them the food that they ordered so they stopped talking for the moment to start eating. When they had eaten most of their meals, Danielle stopped and asked, "So did anyone other than your family give you a hard time for wanting to learn magic?"

"Oh, yeah," he responded. "I was teased mercilessly by the other kids in the village growing up. You see, I wasn't…really big and strong. So that also made me a prime target for other kids- especially those who were bigger than me. So I spent a lot of time alone reading and studying the art of magic. It brought me comfort."

"Did you have _any_ friends?"

"Maybe one or two, but they didn't necessarily share my passion for magic, though."

"Girlfriends?"

Onmund's face grew warm at the question, and he avoided Danielle's eyes as he chuckled to himself before saying, "No. Not really." He then looked up at her again and said, "There was this girl who I fancied not too long ago. Her name was Roxanne. But she was nice to me for only a short time. Other times, she would make fun of me for wanting to learn magic, even being downright mean to me sometimes. To tell you the truth, I nearly gave up my dream of being a mage to pursue her, but she ended up joining the Companions, a warrior's guild based in Whiterun, and she cooled off towards me considerably."

"I ran into some of those Companions," she said. "They seem like a wild bunch."

"I'm sure that every Nord dreams of joining up with them," he said.

"So you almost gave up your dream to be with this girl?" she asked curiously.

Onmund shook his head pitifully. "I was incredibly foolish. I guess I thought that she'd like me better if I became a warrior. But now I look back and am so relieved that I stuck with my resolve."

"Mmm," she acknowledged, and he saw her eyes glaze over, as if she were remembering something.

Now, his curiosity was piqued. "Have you…ever experienced something like that?"

She seemed to snap back to the present and focused her eyes on him. "Like what?"

"Something that almost made you change your mind about following your dream. Your current dream is to master Fire spells, right?"

"Yes," she replied. She then sighed, which he found interesting. "And yes…I _almost_ didn't come here."

"Oh? What happened?"

"This was actually not too long ago. Just before I came to Winterhold, I was working at the Temple of Mara."

"In Riften? Wow, that's a rough town."

"I had been working closely with a man by the name of Marcurio, who was an Expert in Restoration magic, like I was. He was also an Adept in Destruction, which he had studied here, so he mentored me quite a bit." She paused for a second, and then continued. "He eventually asked me to marry him."

"Oh, wow. And what did you say to him?"

"I said no. He wanted me to forsake my dreams of joining the College and live with him as his personal protégé. We were at odds with each other on a lot of other things, as well, so I knew that it was never going to work out."

"I see. So you turned him down and came here, anyway."

She nodded. "And it was the best decision I have ever made."

He smiled, gazing deeply into her eyes. "Well, I'm glad you joined the College. And glad that we've met."

She smiled. "I'm glad that we met, too."

They said a few more things before getting up to leave. Onmund went up to the innkeeper to pay for their lunch and rejoined Danielle, who thanked him, and together they walked back to the College.

The next day was like any other day spent at the College, with training, lectures, and studying. By now, the four young apprentices were getting better at their spells of choice and practicing on a daily basis together in the Hall of Elements. It was no question, though, that Onmund's affinity for Danielle had grown immensely ever since she had found his amulet and after their long chats during studying and lunch at the Frozen Hearth. She knew more about him than any other person there, and it made him feel good knowing that he had a friend and confidante there at the College.

However, he got along with Brelyna and J'zargo, as well. The two women had forged somewhat of a close friendship with each other and he, on occasion, hung out with J'zargo outside of training. The Khajiit was very competitive and sure of himself, and it didn't help that he seemed to be studying the same tracks that Onmund was studying- trying to master shock spells. Once, when he was sitting in J'zargo's room with him, drinking tea, J'zargo said to him, "You've been copying Khajiit ever since he came here."

"I haven't been copying you!" Onmund protested. "I just like shock spells, too."

J'zargo chuckled. "It is just joke. But J'zargo will become Expert in shock spells first."

Onmund smiled, laughing inwardly at the Khajiit's over-confidence. "We'll see about that."

"It is good to finally be around mages who may be able to keep up with J'zargo," he said good-naturedly.

After this conversation, Onmund felt inspired to go learn some new spells. He paid a visit to Phinis in his room to purchase a couple of spellbooks from him. He bought the Chain Lightning and Fast Healing spell tomes.

"I've also got some other things I want to sell," Phinis told him. "Are you interested?"

"What are they?" Onmund asked.

He got up and went over to a chest up against the wall, opening it. "I've got some candles, silverware…just things I've picked up during my travels," he replied.

"Hmm…" As Onmund watched him take some things out of the chest, he was about to tell him "no thanks" but then something caught his eye. It was an off-white piece of folded-up cloth similar to one he remembered seeing once many years ago from a roadside merchant. "What is that?" Onmund asked him.

Phinis looked at it and laughed. "Oh, that? Just some rags that I picked up in Solitude many months ago. A beggar girl wanted me to buy it and I couldn't refuse. She desperately needed the money. Mirabelle said it was a shawl from Daggerfall. I guess she'd know."

"I'll buy it from you," Onmund said, suddenly very much interested. "How much is it?"

"What? You really want it? Uhh, I'll give it to you for five Gold. I think that's fair."

"I'll take it." Onmund gave Phinis five septims and was given the shawl. _This'll be a perfect present for Danielle. After all she's done for me, I want to do something nice for her._ He took the shawl back to his room and put it away in his chest. The next time he saw her, he would surprise her with it, and he couldn't wait.

Unfortunately, the time to surprise her had to wait because she couldn't study with him that evening. Urag wanted to have a talk with her about the orb, probably to ask her some questions about it that had to do with his search for relevant books, so Onmund just studied alone in his room.

After a couple of hours of studying and drinking a warm cup of tea, he saw someone approaching him from the hall. It was Danielle. He smiled and said, "Hello, Danielle!"

"Hello, Onmund," she said, and stopped apprehensively just before the threshold into his room, going no further.

He thought her modesty was so funny and cute. "Come on in!" he encouraged. "Have a seat."

She cautiously stepped over the threshold and shrugged. "I wasn't sure if it was against the rules or not to go into a man's private living quarters. I still haven't read through all of them yet." She sat down in the chair opposite the other side of the small table from him.

"Me neither," he said. "But don't worry, I'll take the blame if someone sees us. Then again, I see Tolfdir sitting in Brelyna's room talking to her all the time so it mustn't be against the rules."

"I hope you're right," she said. "Onmund, I wanted to ask you something. A favor."

"Absolutely. What is it?"

"Urag has given me an errand to run. There were some books that were stolen from the Arcaneum a long time ago- some books that are supposed to contain more information about that orb. And Tolfdir said I can't go alone. Will you accompany me on this errand?"

_Would I?_ "Sure! Where to?"

"Fellglow Keep, a fort about a day's trek from here to the south. There is a mage who used to be a student here, Orthorn, who left the College and is hiding out with some other mages there. We have to somehow get the books back from him."

"Sounds dangerous. Of course I'll go with you. Fellglow Keep, huh? I think I remember where that is. And yes, that is about a day's trek from here. I'll get my things ready. When do you want to head out?"

"First thing tomorrow morning, if possible."

"I'll be ready then."

As Danielle got up from her seat, Onmund remembered something. "Oh, wait a minute! Don't go just yet. I have something for you." He stood up, too.

She cocked her head to one side as she looked at him curiously. "Oh? What's that?"

He then went over to his chest and opened it, pulling out the shawl he had bought earlier. "I got this for you," he said, presenting it to her.

She looked at it in surprise and reluctantly took it from him. Silently, she unfolded it, and then her face lit up and she gasped. "Onmund! This is a Daggerfall shawl! Where did you get this?"

"I bought it from Phinis," he replied. "After what you did for me in getting my family amulet back, I wanted to do something for you. I know it's not much but-"

"Oh, Onmund…" she uttered. "You've already done a lot for me."

He assumed that she was referring to the scene down in the Arcaneum that one time, but he shrugged it off. "Think of it as a token of our friendship," he said with a smile.

She smiled her beautiful little smile and then said, "I'm glad we're friends. And thank you. This is beautiful."

"You're welcome."

"Sleep tight."

"You too!"

Danielle then left him, and he got ready for bed.

The next day, Onmund got dressed and packed his satchel with some food. He then met Danielle near her room and asked her, "Ready to go?"

"Ready," she replied, and they both headed out of the College, out through the town, and out into the open road towards Fellglow Keep.

* * *

_I just wanted to say, I really appreciate all of the reviews and follows I have been getting for this story so far! To all of the guest reviewers that I can't reply directly to, THANK YOU! It makes me very happy to see that this story can entertain._

_In this chapter, Roxanne, my OC from Lover's Comfort makes a tiny cameo. However, she's in here by name only as that story exists in a completely different universe. Also, the whole Daggerfall shawl thing was inspired by an actual event in the game when Onmund randomly gave me a gift thanking me for my friendship- except it wasn't a shawl or anything like that; it was Ragged Robes -_-_


	7. Hitting the Books

They stopped for lunch at Nightgate Inn and finally reached the broken-down fort by late afternoon. They encountered an unpleasant surprise when they were greeted by two elven mages dressed in black robes. "Who are you?" one of them asked in a very unfriendly manner.

"We're from the College," Danielle replied warily.

"That's what I thought," the mage said sarcastically and added, "How are old Mirabelle and Arch-Mage Aren doing? Still condemning necromancy over there?"

"Hey, we don't want any trouble," Onmund volunteered. "We're just looking for Orthorn."

"Orthorn?" the mage asked and looked at the other mage. They both smiled smugly. "You mean our little pet? Oh, you'll meet him soon enough. Let's get them!"

Onmund's eyes widened as the mages started charging up Frost and Flames spells in their hands. He and Danielle had their ward up by the time the fire and frost hit them, leaving them unharmed.

The Fire Mage looked at her partner and remarked sardonically, "Apprentices. So predictable."

The older mages then unleashed their more powerful attacks on them, disabling their wards. Onmund doubled back as his ward shattered from the blow of an Ice Spike. Things began happening so quickly when he was then hit by a bitter cold wind as the mage hit him with another frost spell. He saw Danielle run up to the mage and blast her with Flames and Onmund took this opportunity to strike the Fire Mage with blasts of lightning, catching them off guard.

The two black mages doubled back and cried out, "I yield! I yield!"

"We don't want to hurt you!" Danielle yelled. "Just tell us where we can find the mage called Orthorn!"

"He's inside the keep!" the Frost mage answered, falling to her knees. "But to go in there will surely guarantee your death."

"We'll see about that," Onmund quipped and he and Danielle left them to enter the fort. Once they were inside, he said, "I wonder if those were some of the renegade students from the College."

"I don't know," Danielle replied. "But there are probably more of them hiding out in here so we'd better be ready if they're just as hostile. We don't want to hurt Orthorn when we find him. We just need to get the books back from him."

They did encounter more mages inside the fort, and they were indeed hostile. They also encountered Frostbite Spiders and even, in one room, vampires. But fortunately, the vampires were locked inside of individual cages. As Danielle and Onmund walked cautiously by, the captives within stared at them hungrily and eagerly, licking their teeth. They readied their attack spells should the vampires somehow break out of their prisons, but fortunately, the cages were locked tight. Onmund was glad to get out of that room quickly.

The next chamber's walls were also lined with prison cells, and as they walked in, some of the cell doors opened and a couple of wolves came bounding out of them. "Look out!" Danielle yelled and they fought off the wolves. A storm mage also came and attacked them. Danielle immediately cast her Flames upon them and Onmund backed up out of her way to cast his longer-range Lightning Bolts on them. They made quick work of the wolves but the storm mage was still attacking them. Danielle kept stepping backwards away from the mage in front of her and finally burned him to death. As she moved straight towards Onmund, he took a step back to move out of her way but his back immediately touched the wall right behind him. She bumped right into him, stepping on his foot. It didn't hurt at all, but in his surprise, he reached up with his right hand and grabbed her by the waist, causing her to jump and turn around. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" she uttered.

He immediately let go of her and blushed furiously. "You a-alright?" he quickly spoke.

"Yes, thank you," she said.

"Hey! Heeyy!" a voice suddenly cried out.

Onmund raised his head up at the sound of the voice, because it was right in the same room. He readied his Lightning Bolt when Danielle shouted, "Look!" He followed her to one of the prison cells, where a mage dressed in Novice Robes like they were was standing just behind the bars.

"Don't leave me here!" the mage shouted.

Onmund and Danielle approached the bars. "Who are you?" Danielle asked.

"My name is Orthorn!" he declared. "I'm from the College!"

"_You're_ Orthorn!" Onmund exclaimed.

"Yes, yes! Did Arch-Mage Aren send you? He sent you to rescue me, didn't he?"

"We're just here for the books you took from the College," Danielle replied firmly.

"What? The bo…Oh. Oh dear," Orthorn replied sadly. "I shouldn't have taken them, I know! It was stupid. It won't happen again. Help me get out of here, and I'll help you find them. Please!"

"How do we know you're to be trusted?" Onmund asked.

"Please…" he looked at them with pleading eyes. "I do not wish to harm you. The mages that you ran into coming through here…they threw me in here until they were ready to use me in one of their experiments. That wasn't supposed to happen. I thought they wanted my help, not to use me as a test subject!

Onmund and Danielle exchanged apprehensive glances. Danielle said softly to him, "I think he's telling the truth."

Onmund nodded. "Okay. Is there a key for this cage?"

"No, it's the levers in the center there. Just make sure you don't pull the wrong one. Please, hurry. I don't like being in here!"

Danielle and Onmund walked over to the center of the room where there were four large levers. They just stood there uncertainly. "Which one is it?" Danielle yelled.

"I don't know! Just…just try one!" Orthorn yelled back.

Danielle nervously pulled the lever in the center, and the door to Orthorn's cell opened. He ran out. "Thank you, thank you! I'll promise I'll help. And then I'll go back to the College and I'll beg them to let me back in."

"Now where are the books?" Onmund asked firmly.

"Yes, of course," Orthorn replied. "I said I'd tell you, didn't I? The Caller will have them. She was most interested in one of the volumes. Although not interested enough to keep me from being locked up."

"Take us to her," Danielle demanded.

"Okay, then follow me," Orthorn instructed, and the two mages followed him down one of the corridors deeper into the fort.

They encountered many more hostile mages, who didn't seem to care that their fellow mage, Orthorn, was now out of his prison cell. Or they did and they just wanted him dead. Either way, Orthorn helped Onmund and Danielle fight their way through the keep until they reached a chamber deep inside of the fort that was the largest room they had been in so far. There was a pedestal in the middle of the room and a black mage was standing in front of it. When the three apprentice mages entered, she looked up at them in surprise.

"There she is!" Orthorn whispered. "That's the Caller!"

Before Onmund and Danielle could speak, the Caller cried out in surprise, "Orthorn!" She then looked at the other two young mages and said coldly, "So, you're the ones who barged into my home and laid waste to my projects. How nice to meet you."

"They're…they're here for the books from the College," Orthorn declared frightfully.

"So they're just a couple of Aren's lackeys?" the Caller asked. "That's disappointing. They show real promise."

_What does she mean by that?!_ Onmund wondered.

The Caller glared at him and Danielle and continued, "You come here, kill my assistants, disrupt my work…You've annoyed me, so I don't think I'll be giving you anything."

"Guys, forget about the books," Orthorn urged in a whisper. "Just get out of here. You have no idea what you're dealing with."

Danielle held up a dismissive hand and proclaimed in a loud, bold voice, "We're not going anywhere without those books."

_What fearlessness!_ Onmund thought with admiration. _I sure hope we know what we're doing._ He mustered up as much bravery as he could show on his face.

"Are you attempting to threaten me?" the Caller demanded. "After I've been so hospitable? Well, then you won't be leaving here at all."

Orthorn, Danielle, and Onmund watched in fear as she disappeared in a purplish mist. Then to their horror, she reappeared clear on the other side of the chamber, along with two Flame Atronachs, and they hurled their fireballs at the three apprentices.

"Aghhh!" Onmund cried as the fire consumed him and he fell to the ground.

"I'm getting out of here!" Orthorn cried and through the red and yellow flames burning before his eyes, Onmund saw him run back the other way.

Onmund immediately got up and beat the fire out of his robes. He saw Danielle chasing after the Caller with her Flames. _She can't kill those Flame Atronachs with her spells. I've gotta help!_ He then engaged the two atronachs in battle away from Danielle, and hurled his Chain Lightning at them. The lightning bolts jumped from one atronach to the other, which caused even more damage. He nimbly jumped out of the way as they hurled fireballs at him and they missed. Finally, he killed both of the atronachs and ran to Danielle. She stood crouched over the Caller's dead body, panting hard. "Danielle! Are you all right?" he asked her.

She stood up. There were cuts and patches of soot on her face but she looked at him and smiled. "We did it!" she declared breathlessly. "Let's get those books! I think I saw them earlier."

Onmund laughed triumphantly and helped Danielle collect the books they came for. "Are those the three?" he asked her after they collected them up.

"These appear to be it," she replied, holding the stack in her hand. "_Night of Tears_, _The Last King of the Ayleids_, and _Fragment: On Artaeum_."

"Here, let me help you with those," he offered and took two of them from her.

"Thanks," she replied. "Now where did Orthorn go?"

"Orthorn? He scrammed as soon as things got heated…literally," Onmund answered.

Danielle sighed and shook her head. "I suppose it's for the best. Hopefully he makes it back to the College safely."

"I'm not concerned about him anymore," he quipped. "We'd better get back. We'll have to stay at Nightgate Inn for the night. It's too dark now to venture all the way back to the College."

With books in hand, the two apprentices made their way out of the gloomy fort and north through the dark tundra to Nightgate Inn where they had lunch earlier. They spent the night there, and in the morning, headed back to Winterhold.

When they went through the double doors into the Hall of Elements, Onmund nearly had a heart attack when he saw the sight before him. There, floating in the middle of the training hall was the giant orb! "By the Nine!" he exclaimed.

"They've managed to bring it back here," Danielle breathed. She had a look of great uncertainty on her face, and Onmund had to admit, he didn't know what to think either.


	8. Good Intentions

He saw a figure standing in the room in front of the orb. As he drew closer, he saw that it was Tolfdir. Tolfdir turned around, and his face lit up. "Onmund! Danielle! What fine timing. Come look at our discovery."

"Tolfdir, I've got the books that Urag was looking for," Danielle said to him.

"Did you now?" he replied. "That's wonderful. No doubt he will be very happy to have them returned. As for me…I just can't seem to tear myself away." He went back to gazing at the orb. "Whatever this is, its beauty is like nothing I've ever seen before. If you'd allow me to indulge myself for a moment, I thought I might make a few observations…"

_He doesn't seem to care at all about the books,_ Onmund thought. He looked at Danielle and shrugged as Tolfdir beckoned them to come closer to the orb. Onmund had to admit, it was striking. The surface of it caught the dappled light falling into the room and seemed to refract it in all different directions. It was like looking at a giant spherical mirror.

"I'm sure you've already noticed the markings. They're quite unlike anything we've seen before. Ayleid, Dwemer, Daedric…Not even Falmer. None of them are a match. Quite curious indeed. Now, I'm not sure that you're quite as attuned as I am, given my extensive years of experience, but can you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Onmund asked as he and Danielle exchanged blank glances.

"This marvelous object," Tolfdir replied. "It practically radiates magicka, and yet its unlike anything I've felt before."

As he looked back at Danielle and they both shrugged again, he saw someone enter the room. It was Ancano.

Tolfdir continued, "Arch-Mage Aren is already hard at work, and hopefully we'll have more information soon. Now I-"

Suddenly, Ancano cleared his throat loudly and broke in with, "I'm afraid I must intrude."

Tolfdir, Onmund, and Danielle turned to the tall Thalmor agent in surprise.

"It is urgent that I speak with your associate immediately," Ancano continued.

As Onmund and Danielle exchanged looks of confusion, Tolfdir interjected, "This is most inappropriate! We are involved in serious research here!"

"Yes, I've no doubt of its gravity," Ancano responded in a disinterested manner. "This, however, is a matter that cannot wait."

Tolfdir huffed in annoyance and said, "Well, I'm quite sure I've never been interrupted like this before…the audacity!" He sighed and added, "I suppose we'll continue this at a later time, when we can avoid interruption." He shot Ancano an annoyed glare and left the hall.

Continuing to wear his haughty scowl, Ancano looked at Danielle and said, "You. Breton. I will speak with you."

Danielle opened her eyes wide and pointed to herself, "Me?"

"Yes, you," Ancano replied impatiently. "I need you to come with me immediately."

"I-I don't understand what's going on," Danielle stammered uncertainly.

"Really? Well, allow me to clarify the situation. I'd like to know why there's someone claiming to be from the Psijic Order here in the College. More importantly, I'd like to know why he's asking for you specifically. So we're going to go have a little chat with him, and find out exactly what it is he wants."

"Can…Onmund accompany us?" she asked.

Ancano looked at Onmund as if for the first time and scowled even more. "Absolutely _not_. This man asked to speak to you and you alone. And let _me_ ask the questions."

With a frown on her face, Danielle said to Onmund quietly, "Will you excuse me?"

Onmund glanced at Ancano and then back at Danielle and said, "I'll be back in my room." He then watched as Ancano escorted Danielle out of the training hall and into the Arch-Mage's Quarters.

As Onmund walked back to his room, he wondered if he should've said something. _Where does Ancano get off talking to everyone like that?_ he thought. _No wonder the mages here don't like him._ But he knew that was how the Thalmor went about their business. They were a fascist military faction bent on establishing elven superiority over man, and they stopped at nothing to gain control of the Empire, including killing many innocent humans. They especially hated Nords, and Nords hated them. As much of the traditional teachings as Onmund was brought up in, he never came to dislike elves. But Ancano was different. He definitely rubbed him the wrong way today.

Onmund sighed as he pulled out one of the books that he and Danielle salvaged from Fellglow Keep. This particular one was called _Night of Tears_, authored by someone by the name of Dranor Seleth. He started reading:

_Saarthal holds a prominent place in Skyrim history, even if most do not remember it by name. It is of course the site of one of the first major Nord settlements, one of the first cities of men in Skyrim, and the earliest known capital of their civilization. It was also the site of terrible bloodshed, when the elves attempted to drive the Nords out of Skyrim, to succeed only in incurring their wrath in the form of Ysgramor and his fabled Five Hundred Companions, who swept the elves from Skyrim and firmly established it as the home of the Nords._

_All this is known, but little else. What happened on that Night of Tears, when Saarthal was razed to the ground? What provoked the elves to such a deliberate, vicious attack, and what prompted such a severe response from the Nords?_

_Vingalmo's Treatise on the Altmer Antecedent suggests that the elves of the Merethic Era, along with their counterparts the early Dwemer, possessed a degree of sophistication unparalleled in Tamriel. They displayed power beyond what could be expected of the time. While a distinct explanation is not given for this, I believe that this work, compared with the early writings of Heseph Chirirnis, suggest that something greater was at work on that night in Saarthal._

_The true motives behind the Night of Tears have been obscured to us by the passage of time, but I believe this was not a simple war of territory, or of control of Skyrim. I believe that what happened was a significant event based around something very particular._

_The Nords found something when they built their city, buried deep in the ground. They attempted to keep it buried, but the elves learned of it and coveted it for themselves. Thus they assaulted Saarthal, their goal not to drive the Nords out but to secure this power for themselves. I believe Ysgramor knew something of what the elves would find under Saarthal, and rallied together his people to keep the elves from gaining it. When Nords once again controlled Skyrim, this power was buried deep below the earth and sealed away._

_Time has kept this knowledge from us, but it is my hope that Time will also reveal the truth of these words. Every effort will be made to relocate Saarthal, and find that which has been lost to us._

Onmund scratched his chin. _So Danielle was right about the significance of this finding_, he thought. _And if what the Psijic monk told her is true, what sort of "chain of events" has already been set in motion by finding this thing?_ He closed the book and put it back into his satchel. Remembering that she was with Ancano and that one of the Psijic monks was right here at the College at the current time, he thought, _I sure hope she's all right._

Just then, he heard the outside door shut and he looked up to see Danielle entering. He stood up immediately. She made a beeline for his room and she saw that she looked very troubled. "Is everything all right?" he asked her, offering her to sit down.

She gladly took a seat in the chair next to him and whispered uncertainly, "I don't know."

They continued to talk in a whisper because Brelyna was nearby in her room. For some reason, Onmund felt like this whole thing should just be kept between the two of them. "So what did…_he_ say?"

She sighed. "It doesn't look good. It seems that the orb…he called it the Eye of Magnus, holds some great power. _Dangerous_ power."

"Eye?" Onmund questioned. "That thing's an _eye_? What kind of dangerous power does it have?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. He just said to be ready."

"Be ready for what?"

"I don't know!" she rasped so sharply that Onmund saw Brelyna look up at them in curiosity. He shot Danielle a warning glance and she immediately hung her head apologetically. Brelyna then went back to her business and Onmund signaled for her to continue.

Danielle repeated, more softly this time, "I don't know…but there is someone here at the College who he said might know. He told me to speak to the Augur of Dunlain."

"The Augur of Dunlain? Who is that? _What_ is that?"

"I'm not even sure. But apparently he can help me figure out what to do next."

"So…what does Ancano think about all this? What did he say?"

"He doesn't know anything. The monk, he…he used some kind of time-freezing spell so that he could only speak to me. Everyone around me- Ancano and Savos Aren, didn't witness or hear a thing. After our conversation was over, it was as if not a single minute had passed. He just said that he had made a mistake, and Ancano escorted him out."

"I bet that made Ancano mad," Onmund retorted, remembering how rude Ancano had been to him earlier. "Well, whatever this…_eye_ happens to be…I hope it isn't dangerous. The ancient Nords must've sealed it away for a reason. And now that it's unearthed, who knows what it could mean!"

"Well, I guess I will find out when I speak to the Augur of Dunlain tonight," Danielle said. "If I can find him, that is."

"Maybe Tolfdir knows," Onmund offered.

"Yes, I will ask him. But first, we'd better take these books over to the Arcaneum."

"Oh, right. The books." Onmund opened up his satchel and brought out two of the books that they had retrieved from Fellglow Keep. Danielle had the third. "Let's go."

They both got up and went out the door. As they walked over to the main hall, Danielle suddenly stopped and said apprehensively, "Onmund…I think I may be…in trouble…"

"What! What do you mean?" He looked at her curiously.

She looked down at the ground and sighed. "I…I think I may have overstepped my bounds a bit when I was talking to Ancano. He just…he just made me so upset…"

"What did he do?"

"He said such…bad things about you. He told me…not to trust you…because you were a Nord."

"Really?! What bad things did he say?"

"Oh, I wish not to repeat it. It was so upsetting. He basically accused you of being a Stormcloak sympathizer and elf-hater."

"He did, did he? You know I don't care much for this rebellion going on in Skyrim. And I don't hate elves. I like Brelyna and Savos Aren."

"I know. But when he said those things to me, I…I just lost it. I…I told him that he had no business talking to me like that. I became so angry that I…that I lashed out and called him a 'self-righteous, narrow-minded high-head.'"

Onmund's jaw dropped in shock. "You…you did?!" He tried to imagine Ancano's reaction as he was insulted by a petite Breton mage. He put his hand over his mouth because he was afraid that he would start laughing. "Oh…oh, I can't believe it…"

"Oh, he was _not_ happy," she remarked.

Onmund couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, much to Danielle's surprise. Danielle just stared at him with her mouth wide open and then she yelled, "It's not funny, Onmund! What if I get expelled from the College because of him?"

Onmund struggled to catch his breath. He uttered, "I'm sorry. I just…can't believe…wow." When he could finally speak, he said, "I'm just imagining the look on his face as you called him that. He probably wasn't expecting that, that's for sure!"

Danielle stared at him fearfully. "I didn't mean to. I really overreacted…"

"Don't worry, Danielle," he assured her. "Ancano has no authority here at the College. He's been a thorn in _everyone's_ side. I'd say it's about time someone gave him a piece of their mind!" He smiled warmly at her and she managed a small smile in return. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

This seemed to put her a little more at ease. Together, they went into the Arcaneum and handed the books over to Urag, who was delighted to have them back. As a reward, he gave the two apprentices some books to help them improve their Destruction skills.

"Well, I'm going to go talk to Tolfdir, now," Danielle said after they had exited the Arcaneum.

"All right, good luck!"

"Thanks." She then left him, and he went back to his room.

Later on that afternoon, Tolfdir brought all four of his Destruction students into the Hall of Elements to show them the Eye of Magnus and tell them what he knew about it. Onmund and Danielle had already seen it and heard a little bit about it, but J'zargo and Brelyna hadn't, and they were amazed. They became almost as mesmerized with the mysterious power that radiated from it as Tolfdir was earlier.

Onmund hadn't gotten a chance to ask Danielle about what Tolfdir had told her about the Augur of Dunlain and he wouldn't get to anytime soon. After giving some demonstrations of long-range Destruction spells, Tolfdir left the four apprentices alone to practice. But before leaving, he warned them, "Do not use any spells on the Eye! We don't know how it responds to our magic yet, so please just keep your spells focused on the absorption points and each other, as usual."

Brelyna and Danielle stayed together throughout the practice session so Onmund didn't get to talk to her much. He did notice, though, that she had added a new spell to her attack arsenal- namely the Firebolt spell, which allowed her to shoot balls of fire from a longer range.

He and J'zargo practiced with their Shock spells on each other, of course, with the other warding. At one point, he said to J'zargo, "I learned a new spell the other day. It's called Chain Lightning, and it lets me strike more than one target at once!"

J'zargo snorted. "J'zargo doesn't need a special spell for that. J'zargo can unleash lightning from both hands at once." He then proceeded to demonstrate by dual-casting Lightning Bolt at the absorption point nearest to them. "Let's see your Chain Lightning, now."

Onmund said deflatedly, "Well, I can't show you in here. I'd need two live targets. These absorption points absorb all of the lightning."

"There are two live targets right there," J'zargo said, pointing to the two female apprentices.

"What did you say?!" Danielle piped up, her hands charged up with a fire spell.

"Uh oh, you don't want to make her mad," Onmund said, grinning as he thought of her altercation with the stuck-up Thalmor agent earlier.

"Onmund wants to practice his spells on you two," J'zargo said. "He wants to get expelled so J'zargo can advance alone."

Brelyna laughed. "That's ridiculous! Don't pick on Onmund. He's one of our best students here."

"Only because he's friends with Danielle, the teacher's pet," J'zargo huffed.

"Hey, leave her out of this," Onmund scowled.

"Speaking of friends," Brelyna intervened. "What were you two whispering about in your room earlier? Can I get in on the gossip, too?"

_She must be referring to me and Danielle's conversation earlier about the Psijic monk, _Onmund thought. He glanced at Danielle, wondering what in the world they could tell her. He didn't want to tell her what Danielle had told him, necessarily, but he also didn't want to lie or make her feel excluded.

"They were whispering?" J'zargo asked. "Sounds like mischief to Khajiit."

"Mischief?" Brelyna laughed. "Onmund and Danielle? They don't even so much as _bend_ the rules here."

"No," Onmund answered. "It's not mischief. We were just having a discussion about the Eye. There's something mysterious about it and we were just wondering if digging it out and bringing it back here was a good idea." _It's not the whole story on what we were talking about, but it's satisfying enough._

"Why wouldn't it be?" Brelyna questioned. "Savos Aren is looking into it. And he's got Mirabelle, Ancano, and the other professors involved. Looks like they know what they're doing."

"Tolfdir said that it radiates magicka," Danielle explained. "If it gets into the wrong hands, it could possibly cause a disaster."

"Don't worry," Brelyna said. "The elders won't allow that."

"I suppose you're right," she replied.

Brelyna giggled again. "Alas. I was hoping you had some juicy gossip to share or something. J'zargo is right, though. You two are around each other an awful lot."

"What's wrong with that?" Onmund asked in a defensive manner.

"Nothing's wrong with it," she replied. "Just something I noticed, that's all."

An awkward silence began to ensue as everyone fidgeted and looked down at the ground. J'zargo then broke in with, "Well, J'zargo is hungry. He's going back to his room now."

Onmund was glad for the change of subject. Come to think of it, he was hungry, himself and it was already a little past dinnertime. With that, everyone headed back to the Hall of Attainment.

After dinner, Onmund was by then dying to ask Danielle about what she had found out about the Augur of Dunlain from Tolfdir. He went over to her room and saw that she wasn't there. As she heard the sound of female voices nearby, he looked up and saw her engaged in a conversation with Brelyna in her room. So he went to over to his own room and studied up on his incantations. After about an hour or so of doing that, he went back over to Danielle's room, but she still wasn't there. Brelyna's room was silent, so he walked inconspicuously over towards that direction to see if he could get a glimpse of her there. Brelyna was frantically flipping through a book that she held in her hand and she appeared to be alone. As Onmund turned around to head back, Brelyna looked up and said, "Oh, hi, Onmund. Looking for something?"

"I just, uhh…thought that Danielle was in here but it looks like she isn't," he said nonchalantly and made as if to turn around again, but Brelyna responded, "Oh..uhh…s-she went back to her room to lie down. Said she wasn't feeling well…"

Onmund was surprised at how secretive Brelyna sounded, not to mention outright lying, since he had just _been_ by her room. _What is this all about?_ he wondered as he said, "She…wasn't there."

"She wasn't? …Oh," Brelyna continued in her strange manner.

Onmund put a hand on his hip, determined to figure out what she was obviously trying to hide. "Okay, Brelyna, what's going on? Now _you're_ being secretive about something."

Brelyna sighed in defeat. "If I tell you, will you promise not to tell Tolfdir? Or Danielle that I told you?"

Now, Onmund was _really_ curious. "It depends. Are you ladies up to some trouble or something?"

"No, no," she protested. "It's nothing like that. It's just that…I was practicing some spells."

"Spells?" Onmund questioned. "You know you're not supposed to do that in here!"

"I know, I know," she continued. "I promise it was nothing destructive or illegal. I've just been working on some toy spells to help me understand magicka a little bit more. And Danielle agreed to let me test them on her."

At this, Onmund became alarmed. "You tested them…_on_ her?"

Brelyna became flustered. "Yes! Like I said, she _agreed_ to it. But anyway, I thought I had my formula right, but um…it had some…unexpected results."

"What did you do?" Onmund demanded.

"N-nothing…nothing bad!" she cried defensively. "Just…it turned her skin…green…"

Onmund's jaw dropped.

"It'll wear off eventually!" Brelyna added.

"Well, what…is she okay? Where is she?"

"She's…upstairs," Brelyna said, pointing. "She'll be just fine. Just…doesn't want to see anyone right now, that's all. _Especially_ you. She specifically said to me, 'Don't let _Onmund_ see me.'"

Onmund was struck speechless as he wondered what to do. Suddenly, Brelyna's expression changed as she looked up at him. "You know…I think she…has a crush on you!"

"Huh?" he uttered in surprise and his face instantly felt hot. "Why would you say that?"

Suddenly, her eyes widened and she exclaimed, "You're blushing! You…you have a crush on her, too!"

"No, I don't!" he replied quickly. "We're just friends."

"That is _adorable_!" she gushed. "I should've known."

"I _don't_ have a crush on her," he said tersely. "Are you sure she's gonna be okay?"

"Yes," she replied. "I told you. The spell'll wear off on its own. You don't have to get so mad."

Onmund sighed, not knowing how to respond. "Well, I'm going to bed now. Goodnight." He then retreated back to his room and changed into his nightshift. He climbed into bed and tried to fall asleep. He eventually caught a glimpse of Danielle coming down from the second floor and going back to her room. She looked normal, so he supposed that whatever spell Brelyna had cast on her had worn off by then. He sighed and felt his face grow warm again as he remembered what Brelyna had said to him. _I don't have a crush on Danielle,_ he said in his head. _She's my friend! She _is_ very attractive, I have to admit, though. But she's also very smart and fearless. She would never be attracted to a…a guy like me. A guy who seems to be easily suckered by other guys like Kodnar and Enthir. Besides, I can't have crushes on classmates. That would be against the rules, wouldn't it? Or would it?_ He thought about the long list of Rules and Regulations and couldn't remember seeing anything about dealing with the opposite sex. _Surely, if there was a rule about getting too close to a member of the opposite sex, it would be spelled out, wouldn't it? And why am I even worrying about it, anyway? She's just my friend, just like J'zargo and Brelyna are, and that's not against the rules. She just happens to be my favorite friend because she's so nice to me and easy to talk to. But that doesn't mean I have a crush on her!_ He turned over to his side and fell asleep. He then began to dream.

Onmund found himself in the Arcaneum with Danielle. They were going over the College Rules and Regulations together at their usual table, when all of a sudden, he felt something brush up against his leg. He nearly jumped out of his skin at first, thinking that perhaps it was a Skeever or something, but as the brushing continued, he realized that it was Danielle's _foot_. He seemed to remember that during one of their previous study sessions, their feet accidentally got tangled up under the table and she immediately retracted herself and apologized. Onmund had shrugged it off, simply rotating his body as his large frame did not fit comfortably within the confines of the small table, and they went on with their studying. However, as he felt the side of her little foot rubbing against his ankle deliberately, he knew that this was no accident. Becoming flustered, he looked up at her. Her head was still bent down towards the book, but to his surprise, a grin started to spread across her face. She slowly lifted her head up and looked at him, her mouth turned upward in that mesmerizing smile of hers and her eyes gleaming. Onmund felt his face become hot and he immediately averted her eyes and looked back down at his book. This didn't cause her to stop, though. She hooked her ankle around his and just as he was about to say something, she said in a soft voice, "This is against the rules, you know."

He was about to look up and declare, "I know," but once again, she made his speech falter by scooting her chair closer to him and placed her hand on top of his thigh, just above his knee. He looked up and his eyes immediately darted to Urag, whom he could see through the opening in the wall at his desk. His back was turned towards them. Onmund wanted to say something to Danielle, to warn her that Urag would turn around at any moment and see them, but he found himself unable to speak. He felt as if his tongue were made of hard rubber. He just gave her an urgent look, but she simply grinned and said, "He will forget," and _didn't_ stop. Her hand was moving now, towards the inner part of his thigh and he found himself tensing up, but at the same time, beginning to feel sort of a rise. It actually felt sort of…_thrilling_. _Why am I beginning to enjoy this? Why?_ he questioned himself, keeping one fearful eye on Urag and another on Danielle. He then felt her squeeze the meaty part of his inner thigh, and he nearly uttered a noise from his lips, but he kept quiet, finding himself unable to contain his growing excitement any longer. He stole another glance at Urag again, and to his horror, he saw the old librarian begin turning his head around. Onmund immediately turned back to Danielle, shooting her a frantic look, but she ignored him and with an even bigger smile, started moving her hand towards the center of his body. His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to cry out.

And then he awoke. As he opened his eyes and found himself staring at the cold, stone wall of his room at the College, he immediately felt a wave of embarrassment overtake him. _What…was _that_?_ he asked wildly in his head. He tried to blink away the images in his head and shake off the tingly feelings that he got as he remembered the way Danielle was touching him in his dream, but try as he might, he couldn't get rid of them completely. _Danielle would never do that,_ he kept telling himself over and over. _Stop thinking such things, immediately!_ However, he couldn't help but remember the extreme high he had felt in his dream. The way she was touching him, and the fear mixed with the strange _thrill_ that he felt as he knew that Urag would catch them at any moment. And that thought alone made him feel even _more_ ashamed. He decided that he couldn't go back to sleep now. He got up out of his bed and went over to light his candle. He was going to read and get his mind off of his crazy dream, and then perhaps get an hour or two of sleep before having to get up tomorrow morning.

He pulled out one of the books that Urag had given to him, called _Horror of Castle Xyr_, and began reading it by the candlelight. The story was enthralling. He had just gotten to the part where the Imperial Captain discovered bodies in the basement of the castle that he was visiting when out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movement in the foyer. He looked up and saw that someone had just come into the Hall of Attainment from outside, and as he squinted through the blue light, he saw that it was Danielle! He immediately stood up.

His sudden movement caused her to jump about a mile and then she turned to him. Onmund lifted his candle up to his face and when she saw that it was only him, she seemed to breathe a silent sigh of relief. He saw her put a finger to her lips, urging him not to wake anyone else, and then she gestured for him to follow her. Now curious, Onmund put his candle down, blew it out and went out of his room. She then began climbing up the stairs and he followed. As he ascended the steps behind her, her legs were at his eye level, and for a second, he thought back to his dream and immediately felt his face grow hot again, and he thought, _Not now. I can't think about that now!_ He forced the thoughts out of his mind and followed Danielle up to the second floor, where they climbed yet another flight of stairs until they reached the door at the top. Onmund had never been out on the balcony of the College before, but he knew that was where the door led. They quietly stepped outside.

The night air was cold and Onmund was only wearing his nightshift, but he was actually okay. It was the only place where they could get true privacy to talk. "I have just visited the Augur of Dunlain," Danielle declared, her breath turning to steam.

"You did?" Onmund asked in amazement. "How did you find him?"

"Tolfdir told me," she replied. "He resides down in the Midden underneath the College. I went down there just now because it was the only chance I could get."

Onmund nodded. "So…what did the Augur say?"

"What he said isn't good," she said gravely. "Something bad is about to happen here at the College. And it's all because of the Eye."

"The Eye? I _knew_ they shouldn't have brought that thing back here!"

"Yes, well…the Augur said that this was all inevitable in the first place. But he also said that somehow my path will cross with Ancano's."

"Ancano!" he cried out disgustedly. "What does _he_ have to do with it?"

"That elf is hungry for information about the Eye. But unfortunately for him, he will not find any. On the contrary, it seems that he will…probably meet some kind of misfortune."

"Well, serves him right!" He crossed his arms. "I still don't understand, though…what's the bad thing that's about to happen here? Was that it?"

"I still don't know. But the Augur said that in order to 'see through the Eye of Magnus, I require his staff.'" I'm going to ask the Arch-Mage about this."

"A staff, huh? Hmm. This is all very interesting. We still haven't found out much, though. So you're going to talk to the Arch-Mage tomorrow?"

"Yes. He might be able to tell me more about this staff and perhaps, where I can find it. It seems as if I will be needing this thing to prevent the disaster that is coming."

Onmund sighed. "Wow. I can't believe what I'm hearing. Well, if you need any help from me, let me know. I'd be glad to offer what I can."

"Thank you, Onmund." She then shivered. "It's so cold out here. Let's go back inside."

They then went back into the Hall of Attainment and quietly made their way back down to the first floor. Fortunately, they didn't appear to have awakened anyone. They briefly bid each other goodnight and went back to their respective rooms. Onmund was able to go back to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

_This chapter contains text directly from the Skyrim book, _Night of Tears_ by Dranor Seleth, which is Copyright Bethesda._


	9. Saving the Day

The next morning, Onmund awaited more news from Danielle after she had spoken to Savos Aren. It finally came when she visited him after breakfast.

"He told me to go ahead and locate the Staff of Magnus," she explained. "But he doesn't know where to find it. He said to talk to Mirabelle. Want to come with me?"

"Sure!" he responded, and he got up with her.

They found Mirabelle in the courtyard and approached her.

"Well, hello Danielle, Onmund. Need something?" she asked them.

"Yes…do you know anything about the Staff of Magnus?" Danielle asked her.

Mirabelle crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "Well now that's an odd question. Why in the world would you be asking?"

"Arch-Mage Aren said you'd mentioned it recently," Danielle responded.

"I see," Mirabelle replied uncertainly. "Well yes, I suppose I did mention it, though I'm not sure what he expects me to tell you. I only brought it to his attention a few months back when the Synod showed up here looking for it. They were apparently under the impression we were keeping it in a closet somewhere."

"Who are the Synod?" Danielle questioned.

"Mages based out of Cyrodiil. They fancy themselves the Imperial Authority on magic these last few hundred years. My understanding is that all they really do is make noise in an attempt curry favor from the Emperor. Lots of politics, little magic."

_Another bunch of crazies,_ Onmund thought wryly. _Just like the Thalmor._

"I was quite surprised to find them on our doorstep," Mirabelle went on. "They seemed amiable enough, but their line of questioning made me…uneasy. It became clear they're trying to hoard powerful artifacts, looking to consolidate power."

"So no one knows the Staff's location?" Danielle asked.

"No one here does," Mirabelle replied. "The Synod seemed convinced it was somewhere in Skyrim. They inquired about the ruins of Mzulft, but that's all I remember. It sounded like they were heading there, though they were rather secretive about why. I suppose if you're intent on looking for the staff, there's a chance they might be in Mzulft yet. Just don't expect them to be cooperative."

_We've ran into those types before,_ Onmund mused, thinking of the necromancers they had encountered at Fellglow Keep. "So, what else can you tell us about the Staff of Magnus?" Onmund piped up.

Mirabelle shrugged. "I'm not really sure. Made and used by Magnus himself, if you believe those sorts of things. I believe I've heard it said that it's the only thing that could adequately contain his power. The sort of embellishment wizards of ancient times loved to make."

_And this is probably why we'll be needing it,_ Onmund thought. _To contain the power of the Eye and prevent the disaster that the Augur and Psijic monk were alluding to._ "Thank you very much, Mirabelle," he said to the headmaster.

"No problem," she replied. "Be sure to inform Tolfdir if you plan on venturing out."

Next, Onmund and Danielle went into the Hall of Elements where they found Tolfdir sitting on one of the benches along the wall.

"Tolfdir, we need to talk to you," Danielle said as they approached him.

"Ah, yes, what is it, students?" Tolfdir answered.

"I have been told to retrieve the Staff of Magnus," she declared.

"You have?" he questioned. "Is this what the Augur told you?"

"Yes," she replied. "It is of great importance. Mirabelle says to look in the ruins of…Mul..Muffle?…I can't pronounce it."

Onmund chuckled a little and jumped in, "Mzulft. She said it might be there."

"Mzulft, eh?" Tolfdir said. "I wonder how it ended up there, in a Dwemer ruin?"

"Apparently the Synod mages are looking for it there, as well," Danielle explained. "But we need to find it first."

"The Synod?" Tolfdir questioned. "How strange. But then again, the Synod are always engaged in strange affairs. Nonetheless…do be careful out there. Take one of the apprentices with you. Don't go venturing out alone again." He eyed her, most likely in the same manner he did the first time he had scolded her about this. "Who will you choose to go with you?"

"I choose Onmund," she said and looked up at him with a smile.

Onmund looked back at her and smiled, as well.

"All right," Tolfdir said. "Safe travels."

Onmund and Danielle then went to their rooms and packed their things together- food, scrolls, and enough money to stay at inns along the way. Onmund slung his satchel over his shoulder and secured the buckle and thought, _It's time to put my spells to the test again. Into danger we go… _He suddenly found himself being filled with adrenaline, and he relished the feeling. _This must be what the men in my family felt like just before a big battle! _He looked down at his hands. They were rough, but not as rough as a warrior's, with their beat-up knuckles and scars, but he knew that they could do just as much damage, if not worse. He wielded the very power of nature in his fingers and palms; that was something to be proud of.

"Ready to go?" Danielle said, breaking into his thoughts. He saw that she had a slightly amused look on her face as she had caught him examining his own hands.

"Uh, yes," Onmund responded. "I'm ready."

The two young apprentices then headed out on their journey. The Mzulft ruins were in the far eastern region of Skyrim, almost to the eastern border, in fact. Danielle knew very little about Dwemer history, so Onmund happily indulged her with his knowledge. He wasn't necessarily an expert on Dwemer history, but he had read plenty of books and heard plenty of stories from his family to know a good deal about it.

It was late afternoon, and the two mages were now making their way south from Windhelm. They didn't stop when they passed the oldest city in Skyrim but rather continued on to Kynesgrove. The sun began setting to the west and they had to stay somewhere for the night. They had moved on from talking about Dwemer history to talking about their pasts again. Onmund told her about Frodrig, his old mentor, and how he had taught him everything he knew about magic before joining the College. He also told her what Frodrig was like- what he looked like, what his personality was like, and so forth. He then asked Danielle about her mentors and she told him about the ones she had when she was younger living in High Rock and also her more recent ones at the Temple of Mara. As they walked along the beaten path that had been trodden on by so many other travelers before them towards Kynesgrove, Onmund noticed that she had yet to mention Marcurio again, whom he had remembered having mentored her. He decided to ask her about him. "So, tell me about this fellow who you said had mentored you in Destruction magic. His name was Marcurio, right?"

Danielle seemed to bristle a little bit at the name, but she responded levelly, "Yes."

"Was he a Breton?" Onmund asked.

"No," she replied. "He was an Imperial. But he did know a lot about Breton history."

"I see," he said. "So I remember you saying that you were at odds about stuff. Was he a nice person like Tolfdir? Or was he mean like Ancano?"

"He was…neither," she responded. "He wasn't rude like Ancano is, but…I wouldn't say he was exactly nice either."

Onmund could sense that she was getting uncomfortable, so he wondered if he had perhaps hit a nerve by bringing up Marcurio. After all, he also remembered her telling him that Marcurio had asked her hand in marriage and that she refused. But for some reason, this made Onmund all the more curious to find out more about this man. He found himself blurting out the next question, "Was he…handsome?"

Danielle looked at him in surprise at first, and looked like she was going to respond with something, but then she immediately looked down at the ground and said, "I'm not telling you that." She then turned her face away and sped up her pace, nearly leaving him behind.

"What? Why not?" he sputtered, wild with curiosity now.

She looked back at him, and to his surprise, he saw a grin spread across her face. Her eyes were gleaming. She giggled and shook her head, continuing to walk so briskly that Onmund had to run to catch up to her. _Oh, that girl._ When he did again, he asked, "Was it bad of me to ask that question?"

She stopped and shook her head. "It's just…none of your business," she said in a teasing manner.

"All right. I'm sorry." He shrugged.

She kept giving him that playful look, though, as they went up the steps into Braidwood Inn, and it was driving him crazy. Once inside, they reserved two separate rooms for the night and then sat down at one of the tables to have dinner. All of a sudden, Danielle became very talkative, talking about her family, Breton history, and coming to Skyrim- it was actually entertaining to see her animated so.

After they had finished eating, Danielle suddenly surprised him with the question, "So tell me…about this warrior girl, Roxanne. Was she beautiful?"

Now it was Onmund's turn to look at her in surprise. He wasn't sure what to say at first because she hadn't answered _his_ question, but he figured that it would be best to just be plain with her. He couldn't muster up a playful façade. "Yes," he replied simply.

Her expression seemed to change, which puzzled him. He nearly wanted to say,_ But not as beautiful as I thought _you_ were on that day I first saw you without your hood,_ but he checked himself. Instead, he quickly added, "But I didn't love her."

"Oh. I see," she replied flatly. A little _too_ flatly. And for the rest of the time they sat together talking about Nords and Companions, he noticed that she became very different towards him all of a sudden. She was now much less talkative. He didn't know why.

Finally, they decided to turn in for the night. Danielle quickly stood up from her chair and said to him in a snide tone, "To answer your question earlier, yes. Marcurio was _very_ handsome."

He looked up at her in surprise again, and saw that her lips were pursed. She actually seemed…_annoyed_ for some reason. _Was it something I had said? Maybe…it wasn't such a good idea to talk about this type of subject_. He then watched dumbfounded as she walked away, saying "good night" in a dismissive tone, but not turning towards him. He had no choice to but to go to his own room and go to sleep, but he hoped that he hadn't offended her.

As he lay there in bed, waiting for sleep to come, he still felt confused over the recent conversation that took place between him and Danielle. It all seemed to have started when he had asked her about Marcurio. _I never should've brought him up,_ he thought. _That subject is obviously still very sensitive to her. _As he thought about it some more, though, something didn't seem to add up. She actually seemed fine and quite herself until the subject of _Roxanne_ came up. After he had answered her question in the affirmative when she asked if Roxanne was beautiful, that was when she started acting really different. He then felt as if he wanted to kick himself. _Of course she would be upset, you idiot! Why did you tell her that Roxanne was beautiful?_ However, he still struggled to make sense of it. _Why does it even matter, anyway? Why should she even care?_ He then remembered her last words to him that evening, the way she stood up and said to him that Marcurio was very handsome. He remembered the words actually stinging a bit, especially in the vindictive tone that she had delivered it. _But did it bother me?_ He wondered for a bit. _Marcurio wanted to marry her at one point. They must've been pretty close. Close like she and I are, and maybe even closer. And…I don't blame him for being attracted to her. She _is_ very…oh, there I go again, with the crazy thoughts!_ He shook his head to clear it out. _Danielle is just my friend, Danielle is just my friend…_He then thought of what Brelyna had said the night before. _Does Danielle really have a crush on me?_ The prospect seemed wildly out of the realm of possibility to him. He was used to being ridiculed and taken advantage of by others. No one aside from his parents ever really showed true fondness for him. It wasn't until he was at the College where he met other people who were genuinely nice to him. _Aside from Enthir and Ancano, that is,_ he remembered ruefully. And Danielle was the only other person aside from his parents who was _extra_ nice to him, yes, but he doubted that she saw him…in _that_ way. Even _she_ would ridicule the very suggestion of a crush if she had heard it herself. _Who am I kidding? Danielle wouldn't find someone like me attractive. My own people don't even want anything to do with me!_ These were some of the last thoughts Onmund remembered having before sleep finally overtook him.

The next morning, all seemed to have been forgotten when they headed out of Kynesgrove to finally embark on their mission to find the Ruins of Mzulft. As they crossed the clearing into the forest of pine trees and thick shrubs, suddenly, a large shadow passed over them. It went by so quickly, and Onmund was about to ask Danielle if she'd seen it when she came to a sudden halt. She then quickly whipped around and put her hand firmly on Onmund's chest. "Take cover!" she urged in a whisper, pushing him toward a big tree. He obeyed and they crouched low under the cover of some thick, low-hanging pine branches.

"Was that a…dragon?" Onmund gulped.

She nodded gravely, with her hand still pressed upon his chest. She was so close to him that he could smell the faint scent of lavender on her. He had never been this close to her before. _This is a new feeling,_ he thought. _It feels…_Just then, they heard some distant screams.

"The dragon's in Kynesgrove!" Danielle cried. "Come on!"

They both took off in a run back towards the inn. And it was a scary sight to behold. A great, blue dragon was flying around the inn, breathing frost onto the building and everything around it. They heard screams as people emerged from inside of the inn and the mine nearby.

"Everyone take cover!" Danielle yelled. Then, to Onmund's disbelief, she ran right out into the open towards the dragon.

_Is she out of her mind?! She's no match for that dragon!_ "Danielle!" Onmund cried and ran after her.

She immediately hurled a ball of fire up at the dragon, striking it and burning it. The dragon nearly fell off the building, flapping its wings wildly. It then took flight and Danielle shouted, "Oh, no, you don't! Hah!" She hurled another Firebolt at it but it missed.

Mustering up courage, Onmund shouted, "Allow me!" He then channeled lightning into his hands and sent it forth up into the sky where it zapped the dragon in midair. It let out a roar and turned around. Onmund already felt triumphant. "Ha!" he shouted. "I can take you!" He zapped it again with another Lightning Bolt and the dragon faltered mid-flight.

"Look out!" Danielle screamed and ran towards him. She shoved him out of the way and they both fell to the ground in the bushes in front of the inn right as the dragon crash-landed in the very spot that Onmund was standing in before. A cloud of dirt and rocks was sent up into the air by the dragon's hard landing and the two mages covered their heads and faces. When the dust cleared, Onmund opened his eyes to see Danielle lying beside him facedown. She slowly lifted her head up and rolled over. Her eyes suddenly opened wide and she threw up a ward just in time to block the dragon's Frost breath on both her and Onmund. Being an Expert Restoration mage, her ward was much more powerful than Onmund's and was able to protect both of them simultaneously. Onmund covered his ears against the loud screeching of the dragon and shut his eyes as the bright white spray of Frost blinded him, but fortunately due to Danielle's ward, did not touch him.

Danielle then let her ward down and the dragon started limping towards them. The two mages took the opportunity to spring to their feet and attack the dragon with their spells. Onmund struck it repeatedly with his Lightning Bolts while Danielle moved off to the left and burned it continuously with her Flames. The dragon turned towards her and snapped its jaws right at her, but fortunately, she was able to scramble out of the way.

"Over here, you monster!" Onmund yelled, charging up his spell in both of his hands.

As soon as the dragon turned its head towards him, he unleashed all the energy that he had in his hands. From each hand, a powerful blast of electricity flew forth and struck the dragon, frying its thick skin. The dragon thrashed about wildly, electrified by the bolts, and then it finally fell limp.

"It's dead!" someone from nearby declared. "It's really dead!"

As people began emerging from their hiding places behind rocks and trees, Onmund could see that absolute horror and shock were written upon their faces. Danielle stood up and Onmund followed her to the body of the dragon, its head lying sideways and its eyes looking glazed over. No movement or life was to be seen in it.

"By the gods, you killed the dragon!" a middle-aged lady exclaimed, staring at Onmund and Danielle in disbelief.

"You saved us!" Kjeld, the innkeeper, exclaimed. Just then, a younger man appeared by his side and muttered something to him. Onmund couldn't hear what he was saying, but he had called him "father," so he presumed that it was Kjeld's son.

"Roggi?" Kjeld questioned. "Oh, no!" He then got up immediately and followed his son to the other side of the inn.

Onmund gave Danielle a questioning look and they went ahead and followed the two men around the side of the inn to where the mine entrance was. There was a Nord man sitting on the ground with his back against the building, and he was bleeding. Kjeld and his son knelt beside him.

"You say the dragon cut you on your side there?" Kjeld asked.

The man, whom Onmund presumed was named Roggi, just groaned and nodded.

Kjeld put a hand over his head in worry. "By Shor, I don't know if we have enough potions…"

"I can try to heal him," Danielle piped up.

The two men looked up at her. "You…you know some healing spells?" Kjeld questioned.

Danielle nodded. "Yes. If you would…allow me…"

Kjeld and his son exchanged hesitant looks with each other before slowly getting up and backing away.

Onmund watched as Danielle walked over to Roggi and knelt in front of him. She took off both of her brown gloves and set them to the side. She then put one hand on the man's forehead and the other just above the man's wound. She then closed her eyes and whispered some brief incantation. When she opened them, she took a deep breath and seemed to focus. Onmund watched in amazement as her right hand lit up with a shining white light and saw the light travel to the man's side. Roggi's eyes opened wide in fear at first, and then his breathing became hard and shallow. Onmund had never seen an Expert Restoration spell in action before, and to see Danielle using one on someone who desperately needed it moved something deep within him. He watched as the light from her hands grew brighter and brighter, and then slowly, it faded away. She took her hands off of the man and stood up slowly, keeping her eyes on him. Roggi turned his head back and forth, at first appearing confused, but then he opened his eyes wide again and blinked several times, looking as if he had awoken from a deep sleep. Everyone watched in silence (the other villagers had by now gathered around to witness this amazing sight) as Roggi put an unsure hand on the ground and propped himself up. He then stood on his two feet and shook his head. "I…I feel so much…better!"

The collective breath that everyone had held in was all let out in one long whoosh, and Kjeld's son exclaimed, "You…you've stopped bleeding, too!"

"That Breton mage…" someone uttered. "She saved Roggi's life!"

Everyone happily gathered around Danielle and Onmund, expressing their amazement and gratitude at the work they had done here in their tiny village. "Kynesgrove was saved by the two traveling mages!" was the word that echoed around the forest that morning, and Onmund felt like a celebrity.

They couldn't celebrate for long, though, as Onmund and Danielle had important business to tend to, so Kjeld and the rest of the villagers sent them off with their utmost thanks and a couple of gifts as well- bread and wine. As the two mages left the village behind them and trekked through the forest, Onmund looked at Danielle and asked, "So you left the life of a priestess because it was too boring, huh?"

Danielle smiled at him. "I would've been cooped up in a stuffy, old temple," she said. "Not out traveling like this. No…that life wasn't for me."

Onmund smiled back. _Am I really glad to hear that,_ he thought. As they walked silently on, he couldn't think of anything to say to express how much the scene in Kynesgrove had affected him. It was beyond words. He had brought down a dragon with his hands, but her hands…he stole a glance at them as she walked beside him- they were now gloved again- her hands saved a man from dying. They were so small and delicate. Both of her hands could fit entirely into his one hand. He had, by now, been seriously thinking about reaching over and taking one of them into his own when all of a sudden, she stopped. "What is it?" he asked her.

At first, he thought he had heard the sound of his heart beating in his chest, and then he thought that maybe he was actually hearing _hers_. But as he held his breath and listened, the beating sound grew louder and louder. It wasn't coming from either of them; it was coming from somewhere off to their right, behind a large boulder that Onmund couldn't see behind. Suddenly, a dark shadow fell over them and they looked up. And it was as Onmund had feared. A Giant stood over them, club raised, glaring down at them.


	10. Massacre at Mzulft

There was no time to think. In the second that Onmund saw the club coming down on them, he dove to his left, grabbing Danielle by the waist, practically tackling her and they both came down hard on the ground just beside where the Giant's club hit. They both then scrambled to their feet and took off running into the trees. Onmund could hear the footsteps of the Giant running after them, a rhythmic thunder-like boom as its feet pounded the ground. They came upon the foothills of the Velothi Mountains and Onmund shouted, "Get to higher ground!" He then stopped briefly to turn around and shoot his Chain Lightning in front of him. Even though he couldn't see where the Giant was amidst the thick trees and shrubs, he knew that the lightning would find its way to its target and stun it momentarily, giving both him and Danielle enough time to get far enough ahead. He then continued running on up the hill. Danielle was ahead of him, scrambling her way up the steep rocks. He began climbing the rocks, himself, and they climbed onto a large boulder and looked back down. The Giant tore through the trees and when it emerged, he and Danielle immediately unleashed their attack spells at it. It dropped its club and threw its hands up in front of its face, wailing in pain as the fire and lightning burned it.

Just then, Danielle screamed, "I'm all out of magicka!" She looked at her hands. "I must've used it all on the healing spell!"

Onmund stood there, not sure what to do. "Head on up the mountain!" he finally cried. "Find a place to hide!"

"What about you?" she questioned fearfully.

"I'll hold him back," he declared, now casting Sparks continuously towards the giant, which seemed to stun it. "Get yourself to safety!"

She hesitated for a bit, and it pained Onmund to see the look of worry in her eyes as she gave him one last look before obeying his command and getting out of there. Now alone with the Giant, he took a step back as it ran towards him. He unleashed another Lightning Bolt and watched as the Giant flailed its arms and lost its balance, falling backwards onto its butt.

Onmund hesitated, charging up his next spell should he need it. _Is it dead yet?_ he wondered as he saw the Giant waver. Its head was hung-over, as if it were done. Onmund cautiously looked on as the Giant slowly got up to its feet, and then without warning, the Giant lunged forward with its arm to reach out and grab him. Onmund was swept off his feet as the Giant took a hold of his foot. He nearly let forth another Shock spell but stopped himself just in time because he realized that with the Giant touching him, any lightning that struck the Giant would also travel to his body, as well. In a panic, he dug his fingers into the ground and tried to kick his foot free, but the Giant had a strong grip on him. He then tried to see if he could perhaps wiggle his foot out of his boot when all of a sudden, a blast of fire flew over Onmund's head and hit the Giant in the face, burning it. Letting go of Onmund's foot, the Giant screamed and slapped at its own face, trying to put the fire out. Onmund took this opportunity to get back on his feet and shoot another Lightning Bolt at the creature. The Giant faltered, lost its footing, and fell facedown onto the ground. It didn't move after that. Onmund heaved a big sigh of relief and turned around to see where the fireball had come from. He lit up when he saw Danielle standing on a giant boulder just above him. She lifted up a hand and waved. Onmund smiled and waved back. _Danielle…what would I do without her?_ He then saw her turn around and start making her way down to him. He dusted his robes off and watched her run down to him. Words couldn't describe what he felt then. She ran up to him, carrying a blue potion bottle in her hand. Onmund recognized it as a magicka-replenishing potion. "You might need this," she said to him with a smile.

He took it from her. "Thank you. Thank you for…everything." He gazed at her for a moment before removing the cork from the bottle and tilting his head back to drink. Immediately, he felt the power of magicka flow within him. She took the empty bottle from him and put it back into her satchel. "Did I…hurt you when I pushed you out of the way?" he decided to ask her.

Danielle shook her head. "No. And even if you did, I'm glad for it." She laughed, which made Onmund laugh, as well. "Thank you for saving me."

"Thank you for saving _me_!" he spoke back.

"So…we'd better find our way back onto the trail towards that Dwemer ruin," she said, changing her tone.

"Actually, we should be close to it from here," Onmund explained. "It's in the foothills just east of the Steamcrag Giant Camp. And I'm assuming that's where that Giant had come from, so we can't be too far off track."

They decided to wander south for a bit, and it turned out that that was where Mzulft was. Danielle was in absolute awe of the place. Onmund had never seen an actual Dwemer ruin in person but as he looked at the crumbling stone structures and massive golden piping coming out of them, the images in his books came to mind. But it was one thing to see it in a book and another to behold it in real life. They carefully made their way down from the rocky hill they were on into the flat area where the ruins stood. Onmund marveled at the architecture of this extinct race. The Dwemers were the most technologically advanced people in Tamriel and their disappearance was a great mystery. What they had left behind left so many more questions than answers.

"What's that hum?" Danielle asked.

"That must be all the machinery inside," Onmund responded. "The dwarves definitely had a fascination for mechanics." He then noticed the gilded door on the side of one of the great stone walls and lifted his finger to point. "There. There's the door that leads into the ruin. Let's look for those Synod mages."

They walked up to the door and pushed it open. They then stepped into the ruin and the hum grew much louder. There was also a constant clanking heard in the background. Danielle retracted in fear. "What's that?" she questioned.

"Again, just the sounds coming from these mechanical wonders," Onmund explained. "I'm amazed that all of this machinery is still…alive after all of these ages!"

Just then, they heard a cough, which made both of them jump. A voice spoke, "Crystal…gone..."

Danielle and Onmund saw the man at the same time. He was seated on the floor with his back up against the wall…and he did not look well. "Oh…sir!" Danielle exclaimed and ran up to him. Onmund followed. She crouched down in front of him, and he slowly brought his head up to meet her eyes. He was dressed in blue mage robes and was wearing a blue hood, as well. Onmund took it that he was one of the Synod mages.

"Find…Paratus…in Oculory…" the mage uttered.

"Wait! I can help you!" Danielle cried, and she began removing her gloves. But before she could begin another healing spell, the Synod mage lowered his head and his whole body fell limp.

"Sir! Sir!" Danielle cried, shaking him.

Onmund lowered his head. "He's dead."

Danielle stopped, looked down at the ground, and slowly put her gloves back on. She gave him a sad look as she stood up. "What could've happened to him?"

"I don't know," Onmund replied. "But we'd better keep our eyes peeled. There could be Falmer living in here."

Danielle's eyes widened in fear. In his rundown of Dwemer history to her, Onmund had also told her about the Falmer- the blind, subterranean race of elves that lived alongside the Dwemers in their time. The Dwemers, themselves, may have long since disappeared from their once-great cities but the Falmers still lived on, occupying these structures and becoming very hostile to outsiders. Onmund readied the spells in his hands and Danielle did the same.

"He said to find Paratus," Danielle said. "In the Oculory. What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Onmund responded. "Hopefully we'll soon find out. And hopefully this Paratus fellow has some information about the location of the Staff of Magnus."

They tried to go through another door, but it was locked. "Great," Onmund spoke wistfully. "I don't suppose this fellow has the key to get inside?"

Danielle went back and crouched down next to the dead mage. She reached behind his back and pulled out a brown satchel. She then opened it up and searched through it and pulled out a book.

"What's that?" Onmund asked, very curious.

"It looks like a…journal," she replied, opening it up. She then exclaimed, "A key!" and picked up the metal key that was on the inside of the cover. She handed it to Onmund, who then tried it on the door. The door opened.

"It works!" he exclaimed. He looked over at Danielle, who was flipping through the journal. "Find something interesting, there?"

Danielle shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense to me," she said. "Apparently, some man by the name of Gavros was supposed to deliver a crystal of some sort to the Oculory. This man here…" she gestured toward the body, "he mentioned something about a crystal, didn't he? He said it was gone or something."

"He did say something like that," Onmund agreed, putting a finger on his chin. "Who knows what it could be about? Let's take that with us. Come on."

Danielle put the journal into her satchel and followed Onmund through the now-opened door. The hum and clanking of the machinery were much louder in here. The whole building seemed to be noisy with life. Giant gears were turning and screeching. Steam shot out of some of the piping. "I've never seen anything like this before," she marveled.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Onmund remarked. "And to think, with all of this knowledge the Dwemers had, they couldn't prevent their own sudden extinction."

Suddenly, Danielle frowned and pointed to something at the other end of the hallway. "What's that?" she asked.

Onmund looked, and he gasped. At the other end of the room, he saw something moving across the floor. If his memories of his books were correct, it was some kind of automaton that the Dwemers had built- a living creature made of moving metal. "That's an automaton," he said. "Uhhh, we should be ready to defend ourselves if it sees us…"

As if on cue, the automaton stopped, as if sensing their presence. It then began crawling right towards them! "Attack!" Onmund cried, and he and Danielle began charging up their spells and firing them at it. It didn't react at first, and as it crawled closer, he saw that it resembled a spider. It moved very fast, and before they could react, it jumped on Onmund, causing him to lose his balance and fall on his back. He immediately threw his hands up to fend off the creature, but its mechanical arms were very strong. Danielle was hitting it with a steady stream of Flames now, and before long, the creature fell still.

"Onmund, are you all right?!" Danielle cried, running up to him.

"Yeah, I'm all right," he replied, tossing the spider off of him and getting up. "Wow, those things are aggressive!"

"I know a spell that can give us some extra protection," she said. "Maybe I should cast it now."

"I think that's a good idea," he agreed. "What is it, anyway?"

"Oakflesh," she answered. "I'll cast it on myself and then on you." She then proceeded to cast Oakflesh on herself and then on him, which created an extra invisible layer of light armor on their bodies. They then continued on through the ruins, where they encountered more spider-like automatons. One of them started chasing after Danielle, who was becoming increasingly backed into a corner, and just as the spider jumped towards her, Onmund zapped it to pieces in the nick of the time while it was in midair. In another instance, a spider nearly trapped Onmund and it was Danielle who saved him.

"We make a great team!" Danielle remarked as they took down a few more automatons together.

"We sure do!" Onmund agreed.

They eventually found themselves in a cave system, and it was here that Onmund warned Danielle of brand new dangers. "This is definitely Falmer territory. Let's be on our guard."

As they made their way through the dark caverns, a spray of some kind of black liquid came shooting out of the darkness and nearly hit them. "Whoa!" Onmund cried out and he pushed Danielle out of the way. He then shot out his Chain Lightning, which zapped something in the darkness and killed it. Upon closer inspection, it was a Chaurus- a large, poisonous insect that lived alongside the Falmer in their caves. Danielle was disgusted.

"Be careful," he warned her. "We don't want to be bitten by one of these or come in contact with their black venom. It's very poisonous."

As they fought more Chaurus in the caves, they came upon two other Synod mages. They looked as if they had been dead for a while, and they were both covered in blood. As Danielle looked away frightfully, Onmund commented, "Those mages didn't come in here very prepared, did they?" They moved on. There was some old food in some crates nearby but the only objects of interest were a few healing potions and a scroll, which Danielle took with her.

As they continued on through a narrow cavern, all of a sudden, they heard and felt rumbling. As they glanced wildly about them, Onmund's eyes fell upon a wall that started collapsing. "Look out!" he shouted and grabbed Danielle by the shoulders before she could step into the path of the collapsing wall.

The wall ahead of them came crumbling down and very large pieces of rock fell everywhere. After it settled and everything grew quiet again, Onmund breathed a sigh of relief. "Whew! That was close."

"Thank you…again," Danielle said. "I must watch where I'm going next time."

"Good thing you have me, then, right?" he said, smiling.

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Iii suppose," she sighed.

Onmund gave her a surprised look at first, and then she laughed. "I'm just kidding. Of course I'm glad you're watching out for me." She then gave him a warm smile.

Onmund laughed, as well. _Danielle can be such a tease,_ he knew. _I need to be quicker on my feet when I'm with her. But she isn't mean about it. It's actually cute._

They carefully climbed over the boulders that fell from the wall and finally reached the other end of the caves and found themselves in another section of the dwarven ruins. In one of the rooms they walked into, they saw some strange-looking machinery lining one wall. Suddenly, one of these machines opened up and a boulder-sized golden sphere popped out of it, dropping to the ground. Onmund and Danielle were about to move closer to inspect it when it started transforming, causing both of them to jump back. It morphed into a taller and skinnier shape that then took the form of an upright creature carrying a sword of some kind and it began rolling towards them. "Automaton!" Onmund cried and started hurling Lightning Bolts at it. Danielle helped him take it down by throwing her fireballs at it. With that danger taken care of, they moved through more hallways where they encountered more of those spherical automatons. Onmund and Danielle were becoming very skilled at looking out for each other and attacking the automatons in a coordinated manner. Danielle would fire off a Firebolt while running backwards and then Onmund would hit their assailant with a Lightning Bolt, keeping a set distance between them. Danielle and Onmund would back off in opposite directions, so sometimes this would confuse their enemy as it tried to decide who to go after full force.

Between fending off the automatons and marveling at the Dwemer architecture and machinery, Onmund felt a strong sense of camaraderie with his mage partner, Danielle. He depended on her and she depended on him, and they were becoming an unstoppable duo. In spite of the danger involved, he began to actually have _fun_. He sensed that she was beginning to enjoy herself, as well, as they disabled another automaton. "Whew!" she uttered breathlessly. "I never thought the life of a mage would be this action-packed!"

Onmund smiled, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "This _is_ fun, isn't it?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," she agreed enthusiastically.

"You're getting pretty good at those Firebolts," he complimented. He then added in a teasing tone, "_Almost_ as good as me!"

Danielle opened her eyes wide at him, having never taken a jab like that from him before. She then bared her teeth viciously and gave him a playful shove. "You watch yourself, mage!" she threatened.

Onmund laughed and threw his hands up in defense. "I'm just joking! Just joking! You really _are_ getting good with that spell, though."

"Well, thank you," she replied modestly. "You are becoming quite the skilled storm mage, as well."

"Really?" he asked humbly.

"Really."

"Aw, thank you."

They went on even deeper into the ruins, where they found another Synod mage's body. Onmund began getting worried. "I hope there are _some_ survivors in here! Or else we're going to have great difficulty in finding that staff!"

As they entered another chamber, they came face to face with the dreaded underground elves. "Falmer!" Onmund cried, and he and Danielle took their positions.

Three Falmer nearly ambushed them and it took all of the mages' strength and wit to overcome them. Not only were the Falmer skilled in melee battle with their long, irregularly-shaped swords, but they also knew magic, casting frost spells on the two mages. Onmund and Danielle tried to keep the Falmer from surrounding them and succeeded, albeit barely. One of them tried to engage each mage individually in close combat, while the third shot them with arrows from afar. Thankfully, Danielle's Oakflesh spell was still active on him so when the Falmer's sword struck him, it didn't penetrate his robes. Once the two Falmer were exterminated, Danielle and Onmund made quick work of the third, as they were more comfortable with long-ranged attacks and it was easy since the Falmer was still in the far corner stupidly trying to take them down with arrows.

Onmund watched in amazement as Danielle took out a dagger and used it to slice one of the Falmer's ears off. She wrapped it in a cloth and put it in her satchel and she explained to him, "Falmer ears are a very valuable alchemy ingredient."

"You didn't tell me you were knowledgeable in Alchemy," he said.

"Not very," she replied. "But Dinya taught me a little bit."

"Oh," Onmund responded, remembering the name of one of her mentors in Riften. _I learn something new about her everyday, it seems. _"What is a Falmer ear used for?"

"It can be used to make a Resist Poison potion," she explained. "If you mix it with Garlic and…I think if I remember right, Mudcrab Chitin."

"Huh," he responded, his interest piqued. "That _would_ come in handy against those Chaurus."

She nodded. "And many other creatures." She then approached another Falmer body, getting ready to cut its ear off, as well, when she gasped.

"What is it?" Onmund asked, concerned. He hurried over to her.

"Look!" she pointed to the floor next to the Falmer. "There's something here."

Onmund followed her finger to some of kind of round device sitting on the floor. It was about as large as his head, adorned with greenish, glassy circles, and had a thick, metal ring wrapped around it. "Yeah…what _is_ that? The Falmer must've dropped it." He picked it up and noticed that it was kind of heavy. The sphere rotated within the ring, and he noticed that the greenish-colored glass along the surface of it caught the meager light that percolated into the room. Not only that, it seemed to reflect the light, as well. As Onmund slowly spun the sphere around, the greenish circles reflected the light off of them, shooting small, dim beams of light towards the walls and ceiling. "It's some kind of…light-focusing device."

"Focusing device…" Danielle repeated to herself. She then suddenly lit up. "The focusing crystal! That's it!"

Onmund gave her a confused look as she went on, "That's what the journal had mentioned! This must be the focusing crystal that that man had lost! The one that needs to be delivered to Paratus in the Oculory!"

Onmund gave her a wide-eyed look. "What in the world are they using this thing for?" he questioned.

"I don't know," she replied. "But let's take this with us. Maybe…if Paratus is looking for this thing, he will be so happy to receive it and…"

"Help us find the Staff of Magnus!" Onmund slowly finished simultaneously with her. With his mouth set, he snapped his fingers and stood up immediately. "By the gods, you're on to something there!"

She smiled and took the crystal from him. "See, it's a good thing you have _me_."

As he watched her empty out her satchel of empty potion bottles to make room for the crystal, he grinned and admitted, "I guess it is."

She laughed at his casual tone which mimicked her sarcastic one earlier when he had made a similar statement and they journeyed on.

They soon found themselves in another cave. This one was also riddled with Chaurus. They took care to avoid their venom as they sprayed it and to keep their distance but Onmund's Chain Lightning and Danielle's Flames made them easy work. At one point, they came upon a nest of Chaurus Eggs and Danielle collected a few.

"Alchemy ingredients?" he asked her.

Danielle nodded. "These can be used for a Fortify Stamina potion."

Onmund thought carefully and then said, "Do you think you could maybe…show me sometime? I mean, how to make potions? I'd like to learn."

"Absolutely," she answered, smiling. "There's an Alchemy Table in the Hall of Countenance at the College. I haven't used it myself yet, but I think it's available to everyone."

"That would be great!"

The two apprentices fought on. They were becoming quite the skilled Destruction mages as they obliterated automatons, Chaurus, and Falmer left and right. They were quite banged up by the time they reached the very nexus of the ruins but they were still in good spirits. They eventually came to another door that was locked.

"Damnit!" Onmund cursed. "And I didn't see any Synod mages, alive or dead, nearby."

"There was a corridor we passed earlier that we haven't gone down," Danielle pointed out.

"Right," he replied, glad for her good memory. "You think we can find a key in there? Let's go!"

They went back the other way and found the corridor that she had spoken of. They followed it into a room full of dead Falmer and automatons, which they searched thoroughly.

"I don't see a key anywhere here," Danielle said worriedly.

"Me neither," Onmund replied. He then remembered something he had noticed earlier in the back of the room. It was some kind of large dome-like object with elaborate designs on it- like a…vault of some sort. He walked back over to it, and he saw that there was a circular button on the top of it. He pushed it. To his surprise, the button depressed and a door on the top of it opened! He looked inside and lo and behold, there was a key! He reached in and lifted it out. "I think I've found it!" he exclaimed to Danielle, who was still examining one of the automatons.

She looked up and saw him holding the key up. She lit up and said, "Great! Let's hope it works."

They took it back to the locked door and tried it. It worked! The door opened and they went on through. It was a long hallway with another door at the end. Onmund hoped that this one was unlocked or the same key would at least work on it, too. They went up to the door and tried to open it. This one was locked, as well. Onmund pulled out the key and said, "I sure hope this one works."

Just then, they heard a sound on the other side of the door, which made both of them jump back in surprise. Then, there was a voice. "G…Gavros? Is that you?"

Danielle and Onmund looked at each other, surprised, as the voice went on. "I'd almost given up hope. Let me get the door."

Onmund was about to say something to the effect of, "Be on your guard," but Danielle was already charging up a fire spell. He did the same. They heard some clicking on the other side of the door and finally, it opened. There, in front of them, stood a mage dressed in blue robes like all of the dead ones they saw earlier.


	11. Revealing the Unseen

"What the…" the Synod mage uttered, and his hands immediately lit up.

"W-wait!" Danielle cried, holding her fire. Onmund was unsure what to do, but he didn't retract his shock spell just yet.

The Synod mage just looked at both of them, arms poised to unleash his spell, as well. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Where's Gavros?"

Onmund and Danielle were unsure of what to say. The situation before them was unlike any they had handled before.

The Synod mage slowly came closer, hands still lit up. "What are you doing here?" he demanded further. "What've you done with Gavros?"

_Gavros…wasn't that the name mentioned in the journal that Danielle had found on that dead man just inside these ruins?_ Onmund remembered. _I think that was the man's name!_ ""G-Gavros…we found him dead."

The Synod mage lowered his arms a bit, but still did not retract his spell. His face was still hidden from them so they couldn't see his reaction. "It was the Falmer, wasn't it?" he spoke. "Curse them! They've ruined everything! If Gavros is gone, there's no hope. He was supposed to return with the crystal…Without that, all our efforts are wasted. And you. If you two are here for treasure, or wisdom, or anything, I'm afraid you've wasted your time."

"What's this about a crystal?" Danielle piped up.

"It didn't work the first time," the Synod mage replied. "I tried to tell Gavros, but he wouldn't listen. 'No, it won't be too cold,' he said. Well, I was right, wasn't I? Focused completely wrong by the time we got here! The cold had warped it! Gavros had to cart it all the way back to Cyrodiil. Left the rest of us here to fend off the damnable Falmer."

Onmund looked over at Danielle and they exchanged cryptic looks. _I have no idea what this guy is talking about, _he thought. _But I wonder…if this is Paratus, the guy we are looking for._ He had to make sure. "What's the crystal for?" he asked him.

"It was a brilliant idea, really," the mage replied. "Mostly mine, though Gavros took the credit. Secret, though. Official Synod business. Can't talk about it."

_He _must_ be Paratus,_ he thought. _This is definitely the man we need to talk to about the Staff of Magnus. But how? Should I mention that we have the crystal just yet?_

"Sir," Danielle piped up, breaking into his thoughts. "We _did_ come here looking for something. Namely, something called the Staff of Magnus."

Once again, Onmund was amazed at Danielle's blunt approach with strangers.

"Did you?" Paratus replied. "Well, I'm afraid I can't help you with that. I need the crystal to do anything useful, and I don't have it."

_Oh! I see what she's trying to do now…_Onmund realized. _Clever._ He stifled a grin as Danielle continued, "We happen to have found a focusing crystal."

"What? You have?" Paratus questioned.

"I will produce it when I know that we will not be harmed," she declared. "Let us all retract our spells." She then turned to Onmund and nodded her head at him. Onmund obeyed and they both cancelled the spells from their hands and lowered them.

"Very well," Paratus agreed and lowered his hands, cancelling his spell as well. "This had better not be some trick, though!"

Onmund kept his eyes on the Synod mage as Danielle reached into her satchel to pull the crystal out. She held it up in front of her. "Is this what you were looking for?"

"You found…how in the world…" Paratus gasped. "That's it. That's it! I don't know who you are, but you may have just saved this little project…" He hesitated, and then continued with, "In fact, who are you guys, anyway?"

"We're with the College of Winterhold," Onmund responded.

"You are, are you?" Paratus asked. "Savos wouldn't even grant us an audience when we came to you, but now you come here expecting something from me?"

Onmund shot Danielle an uncertain glance, but she didn't have a response to that either.

"I don't much like this, I'll tell you," Paratus continued. "But you've saved my skin, so maybe I can overlook the past for now. Come on, I'll explain on the way." He then gestured for both of them to follow him so they did. They began walking down another long hallway with a door at the end. "No matter what Gavros said, this was my idea first," he explained. "The Council is going to know that when I get back. I was the one who thought of using this…this Oculory. I don't know what the dwarves called it. Something unpronounceable, I'm sure. From all our research, it seems they were intent on discerning the nature of the divine. This machinery, all of it, was designed to collect starlight, and then…I'm not sure. Split it, somehow? It was my idea to replace one of the key elements with our focusing crystal. Months of enchantments went into it. Let's just hope they got it right this time."

By now they had gone through the door and entered into some sort of observatory. They were in a great, circular room with a very high dome ceiling, and in the center of it was some giant spherical apparatus, with a single, large beam of light coming down from the very top of the ceiling. There was a ramp that wrapped around the outer edge of the room that led upward and they followed Paratus up it. At last, they reached the top of the apparatus and there were three golden pillars with a button on the top of each of them. Onmund momentarily tuned out the long-winded droning on of the Synod mage to admire the whole structure. He had to admit, it was really breathtaking what the Dwemers had built in the peak of their time.

"All right, let's get this thing up and running again," Paratus broke into Onmund's thoughts. "Place the crystal in the central apparatus, and we can start the process for focusing it."

With the crystal in hand, Danielle went back down to the bottom and stepped onto the central apparatus. She walked up to the great arching structure above the center of it and pointed. "Here?" she questioned, looking up at Paratus, who was standing next to Onmund.

"Yes, right in that Armillary," he replied.

_I don't know what an "armillary" is but it seems that Danielle knows,_ Onmund thought. He watched her wedge the crystal into the empty space on the outer ring hanging at the top of the arch. Once it was in place, Danielle took a step back and Onmund watched in awe as the apparatus seemed to shudder to life. The ring rotated upwards until the crystal moved to the very top. As a result, the three glass discs attached to the center of the ring moved also, and they split the large beam of light into three separate beams of light that were projected in all directions. Danielle looked back up at them and Onmund turned to Paratus and asked, "Now what?"

"Now the crystal needs to be focused," Paratus answered. "It was created so far away, we knew that some adjustments would have to be made. Heating and cooling the crystal will cause it to expand or contract, which will change how the light passes through it. You'll need to use spells to do that. Being from the College, I assume you know them already."

"Spells that can heat and cool?" Onmund questioned. He gestured towards Danielle below. "Umm, she knows some fire spells. It's been years since I've used frost spells but I wonder if I can remember them."

"There should be a few basic tomes on that table there in case your training is even more sub-standard than I've heard," Paratus quipped.

At this snide remark, Onmund replied crossly, "I am a _storm_ mage. But I'll take a look at those spells, thank you." _And why aren't you helping us, yourself?_ he wanted to ask. _Being a mage, you surely should know said spells. _He turned away from him towards the table behind them and found Flames and Frostbite spell tomes. He picked up the Frostbite tome and opened it up. The incantations contained within appeared fairly familiar. Frostbite happened to be the very first spell that Onmund had learned when he was under the mentorship of Frodrig so he knew it at one point. He had since become more interested in shock spells so it had been several years since he had practiced any frost spells. But fortunately, the details of the spell came back to him and he put the book down. "Okay," he declared. "I'm ready."

"Go join your fellow mage at the bottom there and adjust the crystal," Paratus instructed. "I'll stay up here and operate the controls to move the bands."

_Whatever that means,_ Onmund thought and descended down the ramp to where Danielle was. Onmund explained to her what Paratus had told him and together they stood side-by-side in front of the Armillary. "All right. You try heating it first," he instructed.

Danielle walked right up to the Armillary and blasted it with her Flames spell.

"Stop!" Paratus shouted from above and Danielle stopped her spell. He then pressed the button on one of the pillars and Onmund saw a section of the ceiling above them revolve. He pressed it again, and the section revolved again. As it moved, he noticed that there were three sections on the ceiling, as well, with one greenish-colored disc on each section. He supposed that they had to bounce the light off of these discs, as well. He finally got it into a position where one beam of light bounced off of the disc on the ceiling. "Now cool the crystal!" he shouted down to them.

Danielle stepped back and let Onmund get into position. He held his hand up towards the crystal and let forth his Frostbite spell. He felt rusty with it but the frost flowed true and cold, and the beams of light moved again. The beam that was in the correct position before now moved out of place so Paratus shouted down to them to heat it again.

They went on like this for several minutes, alternating between heating and cooling the crystal, and Paratus operating the buttons at the top of the ramp until they nearly got it into place. Onmund watched as Paratus pushed one of the buttons a few times and the last section of the ceiling was finally moved into place.

As Onmund and Danielle watched, the apparatus now reflected the beam of light towards the wall just below Paratus. And Onmund gazed in wonder at the image being revealed on the wall. It appeared to be a map.

"It worked!" Paratus exclaimed, and he ran down the ramp. He then ran down to the floor just below the wall. When he saw the image on it, he gasped, "But what's this? These results…They're not at all what they should be. This projection should be lit up like the night sky… "

As he said this, Onmund _did_ notice that the map somehow looked…incomplete. He realized that it was supposed to be a map of Tamriel, but the bottom portion of it was very dim, with Summerset Isle being completely invisible.

"Something is creating an incredible amount of interference," Paratus said. "Something in Winterhold, it looks like." He then turned around and glared at both of the apprentices. "What are you playing at? Is this some attempt to stall my work?!"

Onmund was completely taken aback. _What is he talking about?!_ he wondered, exchanging looks of confusion with Danielle.

Paratus folded his arms across his chest. "So, what is it?" he demanded. "What have you done? Did you know what we were attempting? Are you here to make sure your plan worked, that our efforts have been for nothing?"

Onmund was speechless. He didn't know what to say, and Danielle appeared to be just as at a loss.

"Well, explain yourself!" Paratus said sharply.

"W-we haven't done anything!" Onmund cried.

Paratus' eyes narrowed. "But it must be _something_ you're doing. There's no other explanation. You have something at your College, don't you? Something immensely powerful. Beyond anything I'd anticipated. What is it?"

Immediately, Onmund thought back to the Eye of Magnus. He stole an uncertain glance at Danielle and then said, "We…might have something, yes."

"Well, now. This I hadn't considered," Paratus remarked. "If that's taken into account, these results make more sense. What is it that you have there?"

Onmund wasn't sure if he should tell him but Danielle beat him to a response. "Something that we can control only with the Staff of Magnus," she answered. "Can you help us find it or not?"

_Saved by the quick tongue of a tiny Breton mage again,_ Onmund thought with relief.

Paratus' brow became furrowed and he put his hand on his chin. "Yes, the staff," he replied slowly. "Interesting…I can't explain the details. That would be giving away many secrets the Synod have learned over the years. Also, I doubt you'd be able to comprehend the details."

"Then spare us the details and just tell us where it is," Danielle cut in.

Paratus grunted at her sharp tone and replied, "Of course. Have you ever seen the Orrery in the Imperial City?"

"No," she replied impatiently. Onmund responded in the negative, as well.

"It was the inspiration for this idea," Paratus went on. "Instead of projecting the sky, we project all of Tamriel, and then harness the latent energies to overlay the positions of…" He stopped as he noticed the impatient, bored looks on both of his listeners' faces. He sighed, and then conceded, "What's important is that all of this work was designed to reveal to us sources of great magical power. Purely to help safeguard the Empire, of course. And yet, in the end, only two locations have been revealed to us. One is your College. The other…well, that can only be Labyrinthian."

_Labyrinthian!_ Onmund thought. _That's the giant Nordic ruin just south of Morthal. What is the staff doing there?_

"So, mages from Winterhold, despite your intentions I've beaten your little game," Paratus declared with a smug smile. "Even if all you've said here is lies, I know you have something in Winterhold the Synod Council will be very interested in. So fine, trudge off to Labyrinthian in search of your Staff. I shall return to Cyrodiil and deliver my full report to the Council. This is not over, I assure you."

Onmund sighed. _This guy is nuts,_ he thought, and he turned to Danielle. "Well, are we done here?"

"We are," she replied, and together they left Paratus.

Back out in the hallway, Onmund quipped, "I think he's been in here too long. He's crazy."

"Unarguably," she agreed. As they made their way down the hallway, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

He saw her blink a few times and look to her left and right. "I…I just had a visit from the Psijic monk again!" she exclaimed.

"You did? How?" he questioned, looking around him, as well. He didn't see anyone in the hall with them.

"I-I don't know," she replied. "Like I said, he seems to be able to freeze time and then speak to me from across great distances."

"What did he say to you?" Onmund asked.

"He said to return to the College as soon as possible," she replied. "'A time of trial will occur within the next 24 hours,' he also said."

"24 hours!" Onmund cried. "We'd better get going now, then. We can catch some sleep back in Kynesgrove and head out before dawn."

"Yes, let's go. Is this a way out?" She pointed to the door to the side. "The Psijic monk was standing right there."

Onmund hadn't noticed it before, but they did pass it as they were following Paratus in here earlier. They went through it now. They then followed another short hallway to another door, which led outside.

Night had already fallen on the land, so it was dark and the air was filled with the songs of night insects and animals. Onmund reached into the quiver that he had also slung over his back and pulled out a torch. He was pretty good at archery, but he had no use for arrows when he had magic, and those were just as good at long range. He held the torch towards Danielle and asked, "Wanna do the honors?"

Danielle smiled and channeled her Flames spell. She then carefully aimed her hand towards the tip of the torch and lit it with the spell. Now with some light to guide them on the way, they hurried all the way back to Braidwood Inn in Kynesgrove.

* * *

_To everyone who has submitted reviews, I thank you for the entertaining comments and questions! It makes me happy to see people getting into this story. To answer the question about Danielle being the Dragonborn, I realize that I probably shouldn't have even mentioned it in the first place, but the only reason I did was to put out there that Danielle was my OC, having been the Dragonborn in one of my playthroughs of Skyrim. I choose not to emphasize (or even mention) her Dragonborn aspects in this story because that would end up adding another layer to the plot that I didn't feel like was necessary. (If you want to see my treatment of the Dragonborn character and the main quest-line, see my other fanfic, Lover's Comfort, even though that one's not finished). I probably would've been better off introducing Danielle as just another Plain Jane wandering around Skyrim and while she's involved in College shenanigan's with Onmund and Co., meanwhile, the REAL Dragonborn is off somewhere absorbing dragon souls and Thu'um-ing his/her way to High Hrothgar!_


	12. Containment

Back at the inn, they met Kjeld, Iddra, and other familiar faces again, and the inhabitants there were ecstatic to see them. Iddra immediately provided them a meal of hot beef stew and insisted that it was on the house, but Danielle and Onmund wouldn't hear any of it and pressed some Gold upon them anyway. They were also almost convinced to take a room for free, though, but as they wanted two separate rooms, they agreed to pay the full price.

Onmund slept very lightly and fitfully that night, worrying about the "time of trial" that was allegedly going to occur at the College the next day. He tossed and turned all night, but at one point he must've fallen into a deep sleep because he suddenly awoke to a knock on his door. He opened his eyes and groggily asked, "Who is it?"

"It's Danielle," he heard the soft voice reply. "I'm sorry to wake you, but we should probably head back to the College now."

He rubbed his eyes and replied back, "Right. No problem." He got up and splashed some water from the basin in the corner onto his face, and then he quickly got dressed in his mage robes. He put on his quiver and satchel and then went out of his room and saw that the main room in the inn was deserted save for Danielle. She appeared as if she hadn't slept well either, but to Onmund, she still looked beautiful. They couldn't exchange smiles or light jabs at the moment, though, as their minds were on other, more pressing matters. They went out of the inn into the cold, dark morning. They lit another torch and began making their way north to Winterhold. Danielle asked him if he knew anything about the Labyrinthian and Onmund told her everything he knew about it, including how it used to be a great city where the Dragon Priests convened and that it also contained a labyrinth called Shalidor's Maze.

At last, they reached the town of Winterhold and they walked up to the College. It was like coming home from a long journey, albeit a troubled home. Onmund was nervous as they crossed the bridge and entered the campus. A knot was beginning to form in his stomach, and he began to sense that something was wrong. The courtyard was empty, but that wasn't necessarily atypical for this time of day. Just then, the door to the Hall of Elements opened, and Phinis and Arniel hurried out, wearing frantic expressions on their faces. Upon seeing Onmund and Danielle, Arniel urged, "I'm sorry, apprentices. The training hall is closed right now. In fact, you'd better stay in your rooms until you hear otherwise."

"Why? What's wrong?" Danielle questioned worriedly.

"We have a…situation here," Phinis replied. "We're trying to find the Arch-Mage since he isn't in his quarters. Just…stay in your rooms and sit tight for the time being!"

With that, Arniel and Phinis ran off into the Hall of Countenance.

"What was that all about?" Onmund questioned.

"I don't know, but something…something's wrong," Danielle said.

They stood there for a few seconds, wondering what they should do. Onmund wondered if they should heed Arniel and Phinis' instructions to go back into the Hall of Attainment or not.

Just then, they noticed some motion on the southeastern side of the courtyard. The door to the Hall of Countenance opened and two people ran out. It was Savos Aren and Mirabelle. They ran straight toward the door to the Hall of Elements and disappeared inside, having not even noticed the two apprentices standing outside.

Danielle looked up at Onmund and urged, "Let's go see."

Onmund nodded and together they hurried into the training hall. As they opened the doors and entered, Onmund and Danielle stopped short. They saw before them, the training hall engulfed in a huge bluish whirlwind of energy. The Arch-Mage and headmaster were standing in front of it, exchanging puzzled and worried looks with each other.

"It's like a ward, but who's casting it?" Mirabelle asked. "Ancano? How?"

"I don't care what it is, I want it down now!" Savos urged. "I want to know what he's doing in there!"

Mirabelle immediately began casting Frost spells on the whirlwind barrier, and that was when Savos noticed Onmund and Danielle. "Danielle! Onmund! What are you doing in here? You should be-" He then quickly shook his head. "Never mind! Help us take this barrier down!"

Without another word, Onmund and Danielle ran up to the barrier and began casting their Shock and Fire spells at it. Savos joined in with his Shock spells and shouted, "I don't know what he's doing, but he won't get away with it!"

"Savos!" Danielle cried, not ceasing her casting. "Onmund and I know where to find the Staff of Magnus!"

He looked over at her, still casting his spell. "You do? Excellent! I'd suggest we go retrieve it immediately, but right now we have more pressing matters. Ancano has somehow locked himself in the hall! He's up to something, and I intend to put a stop to it! I'm glad you and Onmund are here to help us get through this. We've got to throw everything we have at it!"

_What could that no-good Thalmor agent be up to?_ Onmund wondered as he channeled all of his strength into his Shock spells. Through the barrier, he could barely make out the Eye of Magnus still floating in the middle of the training hall, and there was indeed someone in there with it, undoubtedly Ancano.

Finally, the barrier gave way and de-materialized. Savos and Mirabelle ran into the training hall. Onmund and Danielle gave one last look at each other before going in, too. Danielle gasped when she saw Ancano standing on the other side of the room, casting some sort of spell on the Eye. His facial features were furled in deep concentration and determination. He looked at the four mages who had run in and declared, "This Eye! This glorious Eye! It gives me power beyond anything I've ever imagined!"

_Has he gone mad?_ Onmund wondered fearfully. He saw that the Thalmor's yellow eyes looked fierce and wild. If he had looked creepy before, it was nothing compared to the look that he had now.

"Stop this at once!" Savos yelled and began channeling Shock spells in his hands again. He then approached the Thalmor agent.

"Don't go near him!" Mirabelle cried.

Ancano laughed loudly and sardonically. "You College mages think you can stop me?" he scoffed. "My power is insurmountable!"

"If you do not stop this this instant, I will blow you to cinders!" Savos yelled angrily.

The Arch-Mage then took a step towards Ancano. To Onmund, it was if everything started happening in slow motion. Just as Savos unleashed his spell on Ancano, he saw Mirabelle run towards him, yelling, "Nooo!" He then saw the bright, jagged bolts of lightning leave the Arch-Mage's hands and fly towards the Thalmor, and with a great thundering boom both of them lit up in an explosion of light that filled the entire room. Onmund was knocked off his feet by a strong force and he flew backwards a bit before coming down hard on the floor on his back. The back of his head also came in contact with the hard floor. He remembered feeling an intense sharp pain and then everything went black.

When he slowly came to, he heard Mirabelle's voice ask, "Are you all right? Can you walk?" It was off to his right, where Danielle had been standing earlier.

He groaned and opened his eyes. He was still in the training hall, and before him, the blue whirlwind barrier was raised once again. There was a large hole high on the southwest side of the room where the window was, and a pile of broken glass lay near it. He looked to his right and saw Mirabelle helping Danielle up to her feet. He started to sit up.

"Onmund! You're awake!" Mirabelle cried. "Both of you. I need you on your feet. We're in trouble here."

Onmund's head was pounding, but he otherwise felt okay. "I think I'm okay." He looked at Danielle, who seemed to be okay, as well. However, he noticed a large black spot on Mirabelle's robes, where she had somehow been burned.

In that instant, Danielle noticed it, as well. "Mirabelle!" she exclaimed. "You're…you're injured!" She put her hands on her fellow Breton's shoulders.

Mirabelle waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about me. I'll be all right." She then looked back at the barrier and said, "Ancano is doing something with that thing…the Eye. We can't stop him! I haven't seen Savos since the explosion. He must've been blown clear, and he may be injured. I need you two to find the Arch-Mage, and I need you to do it quickly. Get moving!"

"B-but…but you're injured, too…" Danielle started.

"I'll be fine," Mirabelle insisted firmly. "I just need a moment to catch my breath. Find Savos!"

Danielle and Onmund had no choice but to obey her. Onmund took one last look at the Eye and heard the Thalmor's voice within the barrier shout, "You puny mages are no match for me!" He then let out an evil laugh.

"This isn't over yet, Ancano," Onmund vowed under his breath as he followed Danielle out of the hall.

Outside in the courtyard, Onmund saw that the same southwest section of the Hall of Elements wall had been destroyed. A huge pile of rubble and broken glass lay in front of it. He also saw the other residents of the College, and they were gathered near some bushes. Everyone appeared solemn and worried. Onmund saw Tolfdir in the crowd who then saw him and Danielle. Tolfdir hurried over to the two. "Are you all right?" he asked frantically. "What happened in there?"

"It's Ancano," Danielle responded. "He's done something with the Eye!"

"By the Nine…" Tolfdir uttered. "Is he responsible for this? The Arch-Mage, dead?"

"Savos is dead?!" Onmund exclaimed. As he had spoken that, he just then noticed a large, limp form in the bushes near where the other mages were gathered.

"Savos…?" Danielle questioned, her voice and expression beginning to falter.

Tolfdir, Onmund, and Danielle walked over to the Arch-Mage's body lying on the ground. He saw Brelyna, J'zargo, Phinis, Enthir, and many others gathered around in mourning. Brelyna's face was wet with tears. She met Danielle's eyes, and Onmund saw Danielle quickly unravel and break down, walking up to the bereaved Dunmer and taking her in a hug. As she held her, he saw Danielle's shoulders begin to shake, and Onmund felt a pain in his chest. He slowly turned to his professor. "Tolfdir…" he spoke soberly. "Mirabelle…is still in there. I think she's hurt."

"Mirabelle?" Tolfdir questioned. "Oh, no…" He then turned to Phinis. "Phinis, will you go tend to Mirabelle in the training hall immediately? I will join you shortly."

"Will do," he said and ran off.

Tolfdir then turned back to Onmund and began in an urgent tone, "Onmund, I know these are trying times, but I'm afraid there's more."

Onmund looked at his professor, concerned, and asked, "What is it?"

"Something's happened to Winterhold," Tolfdir explained. "It must be whatever Ancano did. You need to get out there and make sure it's safe."

Onmund gave him a questioning look and Tolfdir waved his hands toward him and urged, "Quickly now, quickly! I'll find Mirabelle and see if we can't put a stop to this!"

He stole one last glance at Danielle, wondering if he should tell her what Tolfdir had told him, but she still seemed to be in the throes of grief, still comforting and being comforted by Brelyna. With no time to lose, he left her with the group and went on his way towards town. He went out of the front gates and onto the bridge, not knowing in the least what to expect. It was there where he ran into Faralda.

"What's going on? What happened in there?" the Altmer sorceress asked.

"Something went wrong," Onmund answered. "Winterhold may be in danger. Can you help?"

"It 'may' be in danger?" she questioned. "Take a look. I don't think there's much question. Let's get down there. We have to do something."

Onmund followed Faralda across the bridge, where they then ran into Arniel.

"We're here, Arniel!" Faralda yelled to him.

Arniel took one look at her and at Onmund and was appalled. "This is it?" he questioned. "Where's everyone else? We need all the help we can get!"

"Never mind everyone else," Faralda quipped. "We've got to stay focused. Come on!"

Arniel shrugged and followed the two mages down the ramp into the town. To Onmund's horror, he saw that the town seemed to be overrun by a bunch of glowing wisp-like creatures. They flew up and down the street and between the buildings, sending ice and bits of frost everywhere in their wake.

"Hit them with Fire spells if you can!" Faralda shouted and he and Arniel charged into the town.

Onmund watched as Arniel summoned a Flame Atronach and they began attacking the wisps. The wisps were very aggressive, pelting the mages with Frost spells and ramming into them. Onmund took the chance to shoot Lightning Bolts at them from afar. One of the wisps was struck, and then he saw it begin flying towards him.

"Agh!" Onmund cried and took off running. He stopped at the bottom of the bridge and unleashed another Lightning Bolt, which struck it. He then ducked as it flew over his head and he ran back towards the town. The wisp pursued him down the middle of the street and he ran up the steps of the Frozen Hearth. He then turned around, and when the wisp appeared before him, he hit it with another lightning blast, and it exploded, sending hundreds of little ice crystals flying in every direction. He threw his arm up to protect his face as the ice crystals flew at him and then he saw that he had taken care of that problem. _One down…_he thought as he stepped back into the street and observed the chaos. Many_ to go._ The wisps were all concentrated near the other end of the town, and Arniel's Flame Atronach was burning some of them while Arniel himself was fighting one off with Lightning Bolts. Faralda was also attacking them with her Shock spells and weaving her way through the trees.

_We need more Fire spells!_ he knew, and he thought of Danielle. She had been so overwhelmed with Savos' death that she probably hadn't heard Tolfdir's solicitation for help, and no doubt she was now going to be needed to tend to Mirabelle's injuries. _But I sure wish she was here right now!_

Onmund was suddenly hit with a cold blast of Frost as one of the wisps flew over him and he had to snap back to the present situation. He turned around and saw the wisp that had blasted him and he shouted, "You're as good as dead!" He then fired his Lightning Bolts at it as it turned around and began pursuing him like the last one did. He took off running again and ran around a large spruce tree to the other side of it. The wisp ended up colliding into the tree, sending a heap of snow falling over Onmund's head. He quickly shook it off and jumped from behind the tree and zapped the wisp before taking off running again in the opposite direction. "Whoa!" he cried as he nearly ran straight into another wisp and immediately zapped it, as well, stunning it. Now, there were _two_ wisps hot on his tail as he ran down the center of town. He ran back up the steps of the inn, hoping to take the wisps by surprise like he did with the first one, and as soon as he saw the flash of white, he zapped it and it exploded into a cloud of ice crystals. But just as Onmund opened his eyes, he saw the _second_ wisp appear right before him and he ducked as soon as it flew at him. He quickly stood up and brought his right hand up, ready to cast Lightning Bolt on it, but the wisp was too quick for him and rammed straight into his hand. Onmund cried out as an excruciating pain shot up his whole arm, and when he looked, he saw that his hand and forearm had become frozen solid. Now with this right hand completely disabled from using any spells, he ducked again to avoid the wisp's charge. He scrambled back down the steps in a panic and ran back up the street with the wisp pursuing him, his right arm dangling completely useless at his side, covered by his robe. Suddenly, he tripped and fell headlong onto the cold, cobblestone floor, sliding a few feet on his stomach. Despite feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him, he quickly rolled over and with his left hand, threw up his ward which blocked another icy blast from the wisp now hovered over him. The wisp kept ramming his ward, and Onmund soon knew that his ward was going to break and he would be left defenseless and at its mercy.

Just then, a fiery explosion landed a couple of feet away from him, completely obliterating the wisp as well as his ward. He threw his left arm up over his face to shield himself from the flying ice crystals, fearful of what was to come next, but suddenly he heard a familiar voice say to him, "Onmund, are you all right?!"

He put his arm down and opened his eyes, and looked up to see Danielle and J'zargo standing over him. "Why didn't you tell us there was a party going on down here?" J'zargo shouted.

Immensely relieved and overjoyed to see his two friends, Onmund couldn't help but break out into a ridiculous grin. He climbed to his feet and retorted, "Am I glad to see you two!" "We came as soon as we could," Danielle said. "I'm sorry we didn't come earlier. We wondered where you had run off to!"

"J'zargo will turn these creatures into powder!" J'zargo exclaimed, and ran off to take on the wisps.

Onmund urged Danielle to follow, as well. "Come on."

As Danielle followed Onmund towards the wisps, she suddenly stopped and asked, "Onmund, what's wrong with your arm?"

"Oh," he stopped and removed the covering from it, causing her to gasp when she saw that it was covered in a layer of white frost and frozen solid. "One of the wisps got me. Don't let them touch you. I should still be able to cast fine with my left hand, though. But your Fire spells will be more effective against these creatures!"

Danielle didn't have time to respond, as one of the wisps appeared to have noticed them, now. "Look out!" Onmund cried.

The creature started charging towards them, and Danielle immediately cast Flames at it, which not only burned it but also held it back as it floundered from the heat. Onmund began simultaneously striking it with Lightning Bolt from his left hand, and in a couple of seconds, it exploded, sending up a cloud of ice crystals like all of the previous ones.

"Yeah!" the two apprentices cheered.

They went on attacking the other wisps like that, and combined with the efforts of J'zargo, Faralda, and Arniel, as well as Enthir and Drevis who had joined the fray late, they exterminated all of the wisps wreaking havoc in the town of Winterhold. All was quiet again.

It was Faralda who first made noise. "Hurrah!"

The others followed suit and jumped up and down, cheering, and exchanging high-fives.

"By the divines, what _were_ those things?!" Enthir questioned.

"Some kind of Magic Anomalies, caused by that power surge that killed Savos," Drevis responded.

"We'd better head back to the College," Arniel urged. "Maybe Tolfdir and the others have found a way to deal with Ancano. Either way, they'll need our help again."

With that, the seven mages all started walking back to the College.

As they crossed the bridges, Danielle stopped, turned to Onmund, and said to him, "Onmund, let me see your arm."

Wordlessly, Onmund turned towards her and uncovered his frozen right arm.

He watched curiously as she gently took his arm and clasped both of her tiny hands around his large hand, which had frozen into a near-fist. Her hands then began to glow with a white light as she cast a healing spell. Onmund watched in amazement as the frosty layer covering his arm began melting away, but nothing prepared him for the intense burning sensation that followed. "Agh!" he winced in pain as his hand and arm began thawing out, but the pain only lasted for a few seconds before being replaced with a milder, tingly sensation and then finally, no pain at all. All feeling had returned to his right arm and hand.

Danielle moved her hands away, and he saw that his right arm looked completely normal again. He moved his fingers and rotated his wrist with ease. Looking back at his friend, he said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile.

"Never thought Restoration spells could be used for thawing," Arniel broke in. "I must add that to my research notes."

Onmund blushed. He didn't realize that they had an audience.

"Can you heal J'zargo's sore paws, too?" J'zargo joked.

Danielle was about to say something to him when Onmund cut in with, "Don't listen to the cat and his crazy requests."

"Are we done jabbering here?" Faralda asked impatiently, crossing her arms. By now, everyone had stopped to witness the healing spectacle, momentarily stalling their return to the campus.

Taking the hint, everyone immediately shut up and followed Faralda across the bridge to the College. When they entered the courtyard, they saw Mirabelle. Everyone else had gone, and Savos Aren's body was no longer there.

"Mirabelle!" Danielle cried. "You're all right!"

She turned around, and Onmund saw that her face was stricken with sadness and mourning, no doubt over the fate of the Arch-Mage. Her eyes were still moist from tears. "Oh, Danielle…everyone…is everything out there all right?" she questioned.

"Winterhold is safe for now," Faralda answered.

Mirabelle reached up to wipe a tear from her eye and replied, "Oh. That's good news. Wish I could say the same for us, though. Tolfdir and Phinis are trying to keep that situation in the training hall contained. Drevis, Arniel, and Faralda, I want you in there, as well. The rest of you please go back to your rooms and stay inside until this situation is taken care of."

As everyone began heading their separate ways, Mirabelle spoke, "Danielle and Onmund…I wish to have a word with you two."

"Looks like you're in trouble now," Enthir quipped.

Mirabelle ignored him and waited until everyone else had gone inside. Onmund and Danielle stood ready for the headmaster's words. She started by addressing Danielle, "Danielle, did I hear you say earlier that you and Onmund know where the Staff of Magnus is located?"

"Yes," Danielle answered. "It is in Labyrinthian."

"What?" Mirabelle uttered in surprise. "Are you…are you sure? The staff is there?"

Danielle nodded. "We found out from one of the Synod mages."

Mirabelle put a hand over her mouth and said to herself, "That can't be a coincidence." When Onmund and Danielle gave her puzzled looks, she explained, "Savos. Before…before he died. He…he gave me something just a little while ago. He told me it was from Labyrinthian, and that I would know what to do with it when the time came. I think…I think he meant it for you, then. Come. Let me show you."

The two apprentices then followed their headmaster into the Hall of Attainment and on up to the second floor to her room. She went over to her chest and brought a couple of things out of it and showed it to the apprentices. They were a metal torc and an amulet. She held the torc up in her hand. "There was something very personal about this for him," she remarked, handing it to Danielle. "I'm not quite sure I know what it is or why he had it, but you can have it now. Also…" She picked up the amulet and showed it to her. "I think you should take this amulet. It belonged to Savos, but I think would do you guys the most good for now." She handed the amulet to Danielle, who looked at Onmund hesitantly.

"I think you should do the honors of wearing it," Onmund said.

She nodded and put it on. "Thank you, Mirabelle."

Mirabelle nodded. "Now both of you, hurry to Labyrinthian. Bring back that staff before Ancano brings the whole College down around us. I've got to stay here, to see if we can get to Ancano and stop this somehow. But without the staff, I'm afraid we'll be powerless."

"We will find it and bring it back as soon as possible," Danielle promised.

"I know you can do it," Mirabelle assured. Then, with a strangely pained look on her face, she said, "Safe journeys." She then saw the two apprentices off.

It wasn't until Onmund and Danielle began packing their things when he realized that night had already fallen. It had been a long and eventful day. They lost their Arch-Mage, a crazy elf had taken over the Hall of Elements, and who knew what he was going to do next. However, they had at least saved the town of Winterhold from those wisps. And now they had to go find the Staff of Magnus and put a stop to Ancano's madness as soon as possible. He and Danielle consumed a stamina potion to help them get through the night and packed a couple more in their satchels and then they were on their way.


	13. Trials in Labyrinthian

Carrying the lit torch through the darkness, Onmund led Danielle to the forsaken Nordic city of Bromjunaar, where Labyrinthian was. They got there by midnight. It was a sprawling structure of ice and stone, and Onmund knew that there was even more of it underground. There were many sets of steps leading up into the various monuments, and as they began heading up the way where Onmund thought the Labyrinthian ruin was, they saw some movement in the darkness ahead of them.

They immediately drew out their spells and Onmund held the torch out in front of him.

"Is that…?" Danielle started.

"Troll!" Onmund cried, and he and Danielle immediately unleashed their attacks.

Onmund's Lightning Bolt hit the Troll and then Danielle burned it with her Firebolt. This barrage of fire and lightning attacks was enough to take the creature down before it could even get close to them.

As they went up a set of steps higher up into the ruin, they encountered another Troll sneaking out from behind a pillar in the darkness. But the two apprentices made quick work of this one, as well.

Onmund stood next to Danielle and declared to her, "We _do_ make a good team, don't we?"

Danielle smiled and said, "Naturally."

"I think the entrance is up here," he went on to say, pointing up another flight of stone steps.

When they ascended to the top, Danielle suddenly stopped and squeezed her eyes shut for a second. Onmund stopped and looked at her in concern, and then she opened them and looked at him in confusion. "I…I just had a vision!" she declared.

"You did?" Onmund questioned. "What did you see?"

"I saw…Savos Aren," she replied. "He was here before."

"Savos?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Yes…back when he was a student, I guess. I saw him with other student mages, all standing right here," she answered. "It all makes sense now, how he knew so much about the Staff of Magnus. But…if he was here before looking for the staff, why didn't he find it?"

"Well, I doubt it's just lying out in plain sight," he said. "We're going to have our work cut out for us in there."

"But if Savos couldn't find it…" she started.

"We just need to believe in ourselves," he encouraged. "Mirabelle believes in us, doesn't she?"

Danielle hesitated before saying, "I guess you're right. We must believe that we can find it."

"Come on, let's get inside the ruin and have a look around."

They walked up to a very large circular stone door and there didn't appear to be any obvious way to open it. Onmund looked at Danielle and asked, "Well, do you happen to have any ideas on how to open this door? There's not even a keyhole…"

Danielle thought for a little while and then pulled the Torc out of her pocket. Studying it for a second, she then said, "Maybe this can open it somehow." She looked back up at the door. There was a knob-looking thing in the middle of it and on the knob were two holes. As she inspected the knob more closely, her expression changed, as if she discovered something. She snapped her fingers. "Ah! I think I've got it." She then proceeded to put the Torc onto the knob and managed to thread the two open ends into the two holes. It fit perfectly, and when she squeezed it into place, there was a loud clicking sound. It was followed by a great groaning noise as the doors into the ruin started to open.

Onmund looked at Danielle in amazement and she smiled back triumphantly. As the doors opened wider, a strong, musty smell invaded his nostrils. As they gazed into the ruin, they could see nothing but darkness, even with his torch. He hesitated, expecting Danielle to lead the way on in as she had taken charge of things up to this point. But she didn't go in right away. He turned towards her and saw her shrink away in fear and hesitation as she stared at the blackness within. It reminded him of how she had looked when they were exploring Saarthal. She no longer looked like the fearless and determined mage he had witnessed in Mzulft. She looked like a little girl again- afraid and vulnerable. Onmund was so moved that without at first realizing what he was doing, he reached over with his right hand and took a hold of her gloved, left hand, engulfing her tiny fingers with his. The look of fear suddenly left her and she looked up at him in surprise. He looked back at her, giving her a soft, reassuring smile and her hand a light squeeze, as if wordlessly assuring her that she was going to be okay with her friend at her side. Her face transformed and a look of resolute determination took over and together, they entered the dark ruin.

Once they crossed over the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind them. It took them awhile for their eyes to adjust, but it turned out that the light from Onmund's torch was sufficient to see with in the ruin. Suddenly, Danielle jumped and let go of Onmund's hand. "There're bones everywhere!" she cried.

Onmund looked down at the floor and saw that she was right. The floor was strewn with human bones and skulls. "We'd better be on our guard," he said, channeling his spells into both of his hands. Danielle followed suit by readying her Firebolt spell. They trudged further into the ruin until they came to a steel-barred door and a lever to the side. Onmund pulled the lever and let Danielle go through the open door first. As soon as she crossed over, though, the bars came slamming down behind her. Onmund had to jump back to avoid getting crushed by them.

"Onmund!" Danielle cried, turning around and putting her hands on the bars.

Onmund reached over and tried pulling the lever again, but it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, he saw some movement behind Danielle and he yelled, "Danielle! Look out!"

She turned around and screamed. Onmund put his face up to the bars and squinted, and gasped when he saw that it was a dragon! And it was nothing but a skeleton. But somehow, it was alive and it was scuttling towards Danielle. She stood ready with her Firebolt spell and then the dragon opened its mouth to shout. Onmund quickly jumped out of the doorway to the side, dropping his torch, as fire came shooting out of its mouth. He then looked back anxiously and saw that Danielle was unharmed, much to his relief, having had put up her ward just in time. He tried pulling on the lever one more time but it still wasn't budging. He had no choice but to watch helplessly as Danielle fought the Skeletal Dragon all by herself. Suddenly, he saw some Skeletons coming to life all around the enclosed chamber, and he screamed, "Danielle! Around you!" He then did his best to hurl his Lightning Bolts at them through the bars, as well as at the dragon, taking care not to hit Danielle with them. "Danielle! Lure him this way!" he shouted at her.

As she tried to keep her distance from the dragon and hurled Firebolts at it, she made her way backwards closer to the doorway where Onmund was. She then quickly ran around to the side of it so that Onmund could get some good shots in with his Lightning Bolts. She turned around to burn a couple of Skeletons running towards her. As the dragon thrashed, its right wing bones grazed Danielle's side. She yelped in pain as she barely rolled out of the way. Crying out in anger, Onmund furiously and repeatedly zapped the dragon with lightning until he successfully took it down. He saw a couple more Skeletons run towards Danielle who was just trying to get up on her feet and he zapped them, as well. Onmund breathed a sigh of relief and shouted to Danielle, "Are you all right?" He saw Danielle slowly get up and nod her head. She then scrambled over to the doorway towards him. As she came close to him, he saw that there was blood on her side. "Danielle!" he cried worriedly. "You're hurt!"

"I'll be okay," she replied, breathing hard and appearing to be struggling with something on the other side of the door. "Stand back, Onmund! I think this lever here will open this up."

He then took a couple of steps back as she pulled the lever and then, the bars went up. He ran through the open doorway and saw her hugging the wall, doubled over and out of breath. "Onmund…" she uttered weakly.

"Danielle!" he gasped and bent in closer to her, ready to assist.

"I have a healing potion in my bag," she said quickly, struggling to get her satchel off of her shoulders.

Onmund helped her with the satchel, opening it up to find the potion. He pulled out the pink bottle and quickly uncapped it for her. "Here," he said gently and held it towards her.

"Thank you," she uttered and took it from his hand. She drank the whole thing. She put the bottle down and began trying to stand up. Onmund took the empty bottle from her and held her arms to help her. "How do you feel now?" he asked her.

"Better," she replied. She was still a little unsteady, but no longer seemed to be in pain. "Thanks for your help in that fight."

"I didn't know what to do," he declared, still holding onto her by the elbows. "I'm just glad that door wasn't solid."

She smiled at him and said, "Let's get going."

"How's your side?" he asked, craning his neck to see if the right side of her torso had healed.

"It's a little sore, but the wound has closed up," she answered.

"Good," he replied, and took his hands off of her arms. Her arms had felt so fragile, and Onmund randomly thought to himself, _I must look so awkward as a mage; me, with my big arms and shoulders, walking around with a tiny, little Breton mage girl. What would my ancestors think?_

As Danielle took the empty potion bottle back from Onmund and stowed it away in her satchel, he looked at her and concluded, _It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. This is the life I chose and the company I chose to keep. I wouldn't have it any other way. And this girl…is the most important thing to me and I will protect her with my life._ With that resolve, he led her through the bone-strewn chamber.

They continued on through narrower corridors, and the place began to remind them more of Saarthal. They came into a chamber and Onmund noticed an ice crystal growing right out of the ground in front of a door. "How odd," Onmund spoke and he and Danielle went closer to it to inspect it. Suddenly, a low, ghostly voice spoke from beyond the doorway, "Wo meyz wah dii vul junaar?"

Onmund felt a strong breeze overtake him and the lightning spell that he had readied in his hands grew dim. He looked at Danielle in surprise and she looked at him with the same expression. "What was that?" she questioned, noticing that her spells had weakened, as well. Whatever the voice was or where it came from, it had drained both of their magicka reserves! Just then, they saw something materialize right from the door. An apparition appeared in front of them, and it was carrying a ghostly axe. As it swung it towards them, they both dodged out of the way to the left and right. Now standing on both sides of the hostile spirit, Onmund and Danielle shot it with Sparks and Flames, which were not even their strongest spells but were all they could do with most of their magicka having been drained, but the spirit went down and disintegrated into a pile of ashes.

"Did you _feel_ that voice?" Danielle asked. "It had the power to drain our magicka!"

Onmund nodded. "There's something definitely valuable in here. Or this place wouldn't be guarded so strongly." He then looked at the ice crystal on the door and said, "I guess this is the only way in."

Danielle nodded and proceeded to cast Flames on it, melting the ice. The door then opened and they went on through. This room had a series of walkways leading down to the lower floor, and as they carefully made their way down, they heard the ghostly voice again, "Nivahriin muz fent siiv nid aaz het."

As Onmund felt the magicka being drained from him again, he said, "It's the ancient language of the Nords. He said something about 'cowardly men,' but I can't translate the rest."

Danielle didn't reply and instead just gave him an uneasy look.

As they descended the walkways, they saw movement down below. Something was coming from the bottom and making its way up towards them. As it came closer, they saw that it was a Draugr! Onmund charged ahead and blasted it with the few Lightning Bolts that he had enough magicka for, killing it. Danielle ran and caught up to him and they looked down at the dead body. Onmund shook his head and said, "To think that this might be one of my ancestors. I hope never to suffer his fate after _I'm_ put away in a tomb."

They moved on through a narrow tunnel, and as they neared the end, the ghostly voice spoke out to them, this time in a comprehensible tongue, "You do not answer… Must I use this guttural language of yours?"

Danielle shrank back. "Who in Oblivion is saying that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Onmund replied. "But if this being has the power to drain magicka, then I'm worried."

"Well, I have several Restore Magicka potions if we need them," she said.

"Good. I've got a few, as well. I have a feeling we're going to need them sooner rather than later."

The ruins continued to lead downward, and soon they had found themselves on the lowest level in a tunnel full of water. Fortunately, the water was only a few inches high. As they waded towards the end of the tunnel where there was a door at the end, they heard the ghostly voice yet again. This time it spoke, "Have you returned, Aren? My old friend?"

They both gasped at the mention of their Arch-Mage. "So it's true then," Danielle declared. "Savos _was_ here before."

"And he made it this far," Onmund added. "I wonder when he and his group turned around."

"I…I don't think I want to know," she replied uncertainly.

"I don't think I do either," he agreed. _Nor am I looking forward to finding the owner of this mysterious voice…_

They opened the door and went on through. The ruins down here were even more broken down and ancient-looking, and immediately they heard noises. Danielle jumped and hid behind Onmund as they heard something closing in on them from around the corner ahead. Finally, a Draugr came into view and Danielle let out a scream. Onmund immediately blasted it with his lightning and it reeled back. With some courage, Danielle jumped out from behind him and threw a fireball at it, and it sent the Draugr flying back where it hit the wall behind it with great force and then it fell limp.

"Good shot!" Onmund marveled.

Danielle looked at him with a slight smile and declared, "I'm sorry if that was one of your ancestors."

He sighed and shrugged. "We have no choice but to defend ourselves. Besides, I doubt they are the same people they used to be in their undead state. So I wouldn't think too much about it. Just protect yourself, no matter what the cost."

They continued on, and the voice spoke again, "Do you seek to finish that which you could not?"

"As a matter of fact, we are," Onmund muttered, however doubting that the mysterious speaker actually heard him. _In a way, we _are_ avenging Savos' death._

Further on down in the ruin, they heard the voice mock them a second time, "You only face failure once more…"

"We must be getting close…" Danielle declared frightfully.

"I think so," Onmund agreed.

They came upon another large, open chamber with a narrow stone bridge in the middle. As they began crossing the bridge, Onmund heard something behind him and turned around to see a Draugr coming after him. "Hey!" he cried and shot it with Lightning Bolts. The Draugr stepped onto the bridge after him and swung its sword at him. Danielle cried out helplessly as he put up his ward just in time for the sword to hit it instead of him. With his other hand, he shot out his Sparks, stunning the Draugr. Just then, he heard a loud roar behind him and he looked over his shoulder to see a Troll heading right towards them from the other side of the bridge! "Danielle, behind you!" he warned. Danielle turned around and saw it, too, and with a gasp, stood her ground and tried to fend it off with her fire spells. After recovering from another strike of Onmund's lightning, the Draugr took a step forward and opened its jaws to utter, "Fus…"

_Oh no…no, this isn't good!_ Onmund thought in a panic as he braced himself for the inevitable.

"…Ro DAH!" the Draugr finished the Thu'um which was accompanied by a powerful blast that seemed to burst his eardrums. The ward that he was holding the entire time shattered and he felt himself being thrown back against Danielle and the Troll as all three of them flew across the bridge to the other side, hitting the wall hard. But as fortune would have it, the Troll had hit the wall the hardest, which not only killed it but also served to cushion the blow for both him and Danielle, and they only suffered minor whiplash after bouncing off of the Troll's large body and falling to the floor. Onmund slowly picked himself off the floor, holding his neck tenderly, and looked up just in time to see the Draugr sprinting towards them. He quickly readied his Lightning Bolt and struck the Draugr with it, which blasted the Draugr clear off the bridge.

He turned over to Danielle and helped her up to her feet, and together they hurried over to the ledge where they looked down to the floor far below and saw that the Draugr was dead. The mages both heaved a sigh of relief and wordlessly exchanged triumphant looks before moving on. Onmund could feel the beginnings of tiredness in his bones, and he knew that he would require another stamina potion, soon, if they were to go much further.

They came upon another barred door with a lever to the side. Remembering what had happened the last time they had tried to go through a barred door together, he said to Danielle, "This time, as soon as I pull the lever, I'm making a run for it with you."

"All right," she replied, and they approached the door.

Suddenly, the same ghostly voice that they had heard throughout the ruin boomed, "You…You are not Aren, are you? Has he sent you in his place?"

They both stopped short. "That sounded close," Onmund commented. "I think we're just about there…wherever 'there' is."

Danielle wore a nervous look as she stood in front of the barred doors and Onmund stood in front of the lever. "Ready?" he asked her as he put his hands on the lever.

Danielle nodded.

Onmund began counting, "One. Two. Three!" He pulled the lever down and as soon as the bars retracted, he let go of it and sprinted through the doorway after Danielle, yelling the whole time. Both he and Danielle skidded to a stop and he looked behind him. The door was still open. He sighed and threw his hands up in defeat. "So much for rushing through," he quipped.

To Onmund's surprise, Danielle suddenly burst into giggles. He looked at her and questioned in a defensive tone, "What?"

Danielle grinned, her eyes sparkling, and replied, "You…"

Onmund felt his face turn red at first, but then he tried to imagine what he must've looked like making a mad dash through the open doorway and yelling like a maniac. He had been so frantic about it, as if his life had depended on it. He must've looked pretty silly, especially when it concluded so anticlimactically after he realized that the door was in no danger of closing on him. He started laughing. "I guess that _was_ pretty silly of me," he admitted.

"I have never seen anyone run so fast before," she remarked. "You could've won a race!"

The two laughed on for about a full minute over the endeavor, enjoying this sudden injection of humor into their situation. Despite having been laughed at, Onmund didn't feel offended. He actually felt _good_. It was the first time he had ever felt this way in such a situation. And it was because Danielle wasn't cruel about it; it was as if she were part of the joke with him. He felt like they had shared a special moment- just the two of them. Little did he know that this would turn into an ongoing joke between them for a long time to come.

They came to another elemental door that was reminiscent of one of the first doors they had encountered in this ruin. This door had flames leaping up from the bottom of it, but it didn't appear that the door was being consumed by the fire. As they came closer, sure enough, the mocking voice spoke again, "Did he warn you that your own power would be your undoing? That it would only serve to strengthen me?"

"When we find you, we're gonna _silence_ you for good!" Onmund yelled, finding his courage.

Just then, another apparition appeared to them from the door, and the two mages found their positions on either side of it, defeating it with their low-magicka spells. Once that threat was taken care of, Onmund recalled the Frostbite spell that he had re-learned in Mzulft and sent it forth through his hands towards the flames on the door. The flames abated and the door opened.

When they went on through, Danielle stopped in her tracks again as if she had had another vision.

"What is it, Danielle?" he asked her. "Did you see something again?"

"Yes, I did," she said solemnly. "Savos and his friends _did_ make it this far. But…not all of them."

"Ooh," Onmund winced. "That's not good. What happened to them?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "The Draugrs probably."

He nodded sadly. "Well, you and I have been faring pretty well against them. That's something, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she answered slowly. "We'd better be…very careful, though."

"Understood."

As they came to another door, the ghostly voice spoke to them one last time, saying, "Come. Face your end."

"We're not afraid of you!" Onmund yelled, shaking his fist.

However, little did the two mages know that the hardest battles had yet to come. As they journeyed on, they encountered a new type of undead creature- Spectral Draugrs. These were just like regular Draugrs except that they seemed to float and they looked transparent. The tunnels and chambers that followed were riddled with them, and it took some doing to take them all down.

Exhausted and feeling pretty beat-up, Onmund leaned his body up against the wall and said breathlessly, "I…was not expecting that."

"Me neither," Danielle replied just as breathlessly. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a green bottle of stamina potion.

"Good idea," he said and did the same.

After they had taken a dose of the potion, Onmund already began to feel like his energy was coming back to him. However, he still felt uneasy. "I'm beginning to not like where this is going. I mean, we just got by by the skin of our teeth back there!"

"I'm worried, too," she agreed. "But remember, the College needs our help. If we don't find that staff, we have no hope of stopping Ancano."

"Ancano…that cad!" he growled. "What makes him think he can away with this?!"

"He was interested in that Eye since the very beginning," she mused. "He knew that thing had great power. He wanted to take over the College- it was one more avenue for the Thalmor to further their agenda of dictatorship and hate!"

Onmund scowled and said, "Damn the Thalmor. Damn Ancano. We've _got_ to stop him!"

With her lips set, Danielle narrowed her eyes and nodded. "We will," she proclaimed in a low voice. "We must find that staff."

"Then onwards!" he proclaimed boldly, and the two mages went on their way further down through the ruin. They didn't encounter anymore live Draugrs, but did have one scare. As they went down one corridor, they came to a closed door. Danielle reached up to open the iron door, and just as it swung open, a Draugr that was just behind it fell limp at her feet. She gave a yelp and jumped back, immediately clinging to Onmund's robes. He caught her small body and held her protectively against him for but a brief second before she let go of him and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that it was dead.

"Gave you a scare, didn't it?" Onmund asked her good-naturedly.

She shook her head exasperatedly. "Oh, those Draugrs," she fumed. "I've had it with this place! I am not afraid anymore! Undead creatures or not, we are going to do whatever it takes to get that staff!"

Onmund looked at her in amazement. _What a change from before!_ he observed with a touch of admiration, as he remembered that when they first came in here, she was as frightened and meek as a mouse. Now, she was a fearless mage again, as fiery as the spells that she wielded. He relished this side of her.

When they came upon a set of wooden double doors, Danielle stopped in her tracks and blinked. She then put a hand up and Onmund stopped, as well. "Hold on, Onmund," she urged. "This is it. This is the door that leads to…"

"The staff?" he inquired.

"I think so. The vision…it came back again. Right here, Savos and his fellow students stood, about to go in and face…face some kind of danger."

"Then…let's go and face it."

She nodded. "Be prepared to use everything we have learned thus far."

* * *

_I just wanted to say again that I absolutely appreciate your reviews and support for this story. To M: I don't mind the questions, at all, so please, ask away! I am happy to indulge readers in understanding this story better or the thought process that went behind it. I am surprised myself at the scarcity of stories with Onmund in them as I've really begun to adore the character. I just hope that I am doing him justice!_


	14. The Staff of Magnus

They then pushed the doors open and went on through. They came into a large, multi-level chamber where there were beams of energy being projected onto a platform above them. Up on the platform stood a glowing bubble where the energy was being projected. Upon seeing the strange sight, Onmund exclaimed, "What is that?"

"Let's have a closer look," Danielle urged, and Onmund followed her up the steps to the platform above.

As they climbed up onto the platform, they could see that there was something inside of it. As they drew closer to the bubble, they saw that the thing inside of it was actually a living being! Onmund and Danielle let out a gasp as they examined the being trapped inside of the bubble. It was very tall and wore some kind of long and flowy, black robes. Its arms and legs were stick-thin and grotesque-looking, but the face was especially so, with great, round eyes that appeared to be closed and a thin mouth set as straight as an arrow. The face was so hard and emotionless in its appearance that Onmund thought it might be wearing a mask. The being appeared frozen in place, its stick-like arms outstretched, with one hand carrying a staff and the other in an open-palm position like it was channeling a spell. Suddenly, a realization flooded him and his face became white. He put one hand on Danielle's shoulder and another over his heart to steady himself, sputtering, "_By the Nine, that's a Dragon Priest!_"

Danielle looked up at him with a puzzled expression. "Dragon Priest?" she questioned.

"Servants of dragons," he explained darkly. "They are some of the most powerful wizards in all of Skyrim."

"Why is he in that bubble?" she asked.

Onmund looked and saw that the beams of energy flowing into the bubble were coming from the platform above. There were two of these beams, and he followed the source of them with his eyes up to two strange-looking apparitions sitting up on the higher platform. They appeared to be the spirits of mages, and the beams were shooting out of their hands down onto the Dragon Priest. "I think…those spirits up there are trapping him in a ward, it seems. But why?"

Suddenly, Danielle gasped. "Onmund! Do you see that…staff he's holding?"

Onmund looked at the staff that the Dragon Priest held, having noticed it before, and was puzzled as to why she had brought his attention it. "Yes, but what about it?" he questioned. Before she could respond, though, he began to notice something. As he squinted and examined the staff more closely, he saw that the tip of it had a very familiar-looking design. It matched the design on the Eye of Magnus. He gasped and jerked back. "That must be…that must be the staff we're looking for! The Staff of Magnus!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"It's got to be!" Danielle exclaimed, looking up at him anxiously, and he wondered if she was wondering the same thing he was- namely, how they were going to get at the staff. They would have to get through the powerful ward somehow.

Onmund channeled his Lightning Bolt and unleashed it upon the ward. It had no effect, though, as it simply absorbed all of the lightning. Danielle then tried casting Flames upon it, but that had no effect either.

"Damnit," Onmund cursed. "We can't break that ward. Those mage spirits up there are casting it continuously, anyway. We'll have to…somehow stop them…" He looked up, and Danielle followed his eyes to the upper platform where the two mage spirits were. He then said to her, "Follow me."

She followed him up the set of steps to the upper platform. They looked on in bewilderment as they came upon the spirit. It just stood there at the edge of the platform, arms raised forward and casting the ward continuously. It didn't even seem to acknowledge Onmund and Danielle as they approached this wonder.

"I wonder who he is," Danielle whispered.

"Or who he _was_…" Onmund quipped.

Just then, the two mages jumped as the spirit, without turning to look at them, spoke the words, "Must…stop…Morokei…"

"Must stop Morokei?" Onmund questioned, puzzled. He then shouted to the spirit, "Hey…can you hear us?" He waved his hand at it, but the spirit did not seem to acknowledge their presence.

"Must…stop…Morokei…" the mage repeated, never once pausing from his casting.

Onmund looked at Danielle and they exchanged puzzled looks. They walked over to the other end of the platform, where another mage spirit stood at the edge, casting its ward nonstop towards the Dragon Priest below. This one seemed just as occupied and unresponsive as the first one was.

"Must…stop…Morokei…" this one chanted, as well.

"Morokei must be what that Dragon Priest is called," Onmund concluded. "But why are they shielding him?"

"Maybe they're…imprisoning him," Danielle piped up. "Because of his power."

With a sinking feeling, Onmund knew that she was right. The Dragon Priests were not exactly friendly to mankind, as their masters, the dragons, most definitely were not. He now realized what this meant. In order to get the Staff of Magnus- what they came here for, they would have to fight and defeat Morokei, and that was going to be a very formidable task. And in order to defeat Morokei, they would have to release him from his prison, which meant that they were going to have to stop these mage spirits from casting their wards, somehow. Talking to them didn't help. So they only had one choice left. "Danielle, you stay here," Onmund instructed. "I'm going back to the other spirit, and on the count of three, we're going to destroy them in order to disable the ward. Things are going to start happening pretty quickly, though, so get ready for a long and tough battle once Morokei is released."

Danielle nodded gravely. Onmund then left her with the mage spirit there and went back to the other spirit. He stood behind it and readied his Lightning Bolt. He looked back over at Danielle and shouted, "Ready?"

He saw her nod again, and he found his mind flooded with many thoughts. _I'm sorry, mages. We are going to let this malignant spirit free so that we can defeat him. We _must_ defeat him! Because if we don't…_he gulped, wondering about the unthinkable alternative, _Winterhold and all of Skyrim will be doomed. Thus…this is for victory! For Winterhold. For Skyrim! _He counted, "One, two, _three_!" He let go of his spell and the lightning burst forth from his hands, striking the spirit. It completely pulverized. At the same time, Danielle annihilated the other spirit with her fire spell, and the ward was broken.

Down below, he saw the bubble around the Dragon Priest, Morokei, disappear. He saw the wizard begin to move, awakening from his long slumber. Onmund gulped. _This is it,_ he thought solemnly. He stood there on the edge of the platform, not sure if he should move or if Morokei had noticed him and Danielle yet. But the Dragon Priest looked right up at the upper platform at them, and they heard him speak in the same ghostly voice they had been hearing all along, "You have freed me and unleashed my power. Now it shall be poured out upon you…" Morokei then began glowing and electricity surged throughout his ghostly body. He glowed brighter and brighter until the sparks exploded from him, flying out all over the room. Onmund's nerves seared with pain as the sparks went through him and he doubled over.

Morokei let out a low, even cackle as Onmund thought, _This isn't starting out very well…_He slowly got up and tried to fire out a lightning spell but all of the magicka had been drained out of him. He ducked as a bolt of lightning came flying up at him and missed. The ledge that he was standing on jutted out from the upper platform and served as a barrier between him and the wizard below. As long as he stayed low, he was out of the way of his attacks. He wondered how Danielle was faring, but he couldn't see her from his vantage point as he quickly crawled over to a stone pillar nearby and sat behind it, struggling to get a magicka replenishing potion out of his satchel.

"Savos Aren or not I shall destroy you!" came the ghostly voice of the wizard.

Onmund pulled out the blue bottle, quickly uncapped it and drank it, feeling the magicka return to him. He then turned around and stood up, looking over the pillar and declaring, "This is the part where you die!" He then reached out with his arm and shot forth his Lightning Bolt, striking Morokei.

The wizard was momentarily stunned, and he saw a fireball fly down at him, as well, burning him. _Yeah! Danielle and I can take him!_ he thought happily.

"Childish humans! You have yet to witness my full power!" the Dragon Priest exclaimed, and Onmund heard a sound behind him. He turned around and saw something materialize out of a purplish mist. It was a Storm Atronach.

"Yeagh!" Onmund shrieked and nearly fell off the ledge he was standing on.

The Storm Atronach came towards him and shot out a Lightning Bolt, which he blocked with a ward.

"Onmund!" he heard Danielle cry as she ran towards them and started hurling Firebolts at the atronach. "Hyagh!" The atronach turned and shot a Lightning Bolt towards her, which she blocked with her ward before continuing to fire at it with Flames.

Onmund took the opportunity to unleash Frostbite on the atronach, as shock spells were no good on it. But his frost spells were very weak since he hadn't practiced with them very much, and the Storm Atronach kept on attacking Danielle, casting a continuous stream of Sparks at her. She still had her ward up and was casting Flames back at the atronach but before long, her ward shattered and she made a run for it. Onmund leaped forward and continued the steady flow of frost from his hands, hoping to grab its attention away from her.

The atronach turned back towards him and attacked him with lightning as he warded again, but his ward shattered after only a short while. He stood, prepared to feel the sting of electricity again when Danielle shot a large fireball at it and it burned up, disintegrating into ashes. She ran up to him.

"Get down!" Onmund cried and grabbed her by the shoulders and they both fell to the floor just as a Lightning Bolt flew up from below.

"You will pay for defying me!" Morokei's voice rose up from below.

Just then, another spray of sparks flew up and hit both him and Danielle, and they cried out in pain as the volts of electricity stung every nerve in their bodies. Danielle got up on her knees and scrambled to get another magicka-replenishing potion out of her satchel. She pulled out two of them and immediately handed one to Onmund, and they both drank. "Get behind the pillar here," he instructed, pointing to the pillar next to them. "We'll both attack him from up here, but watch out for his Lightning Bolts."

Danielle nodded and went up to the pillar, crouching low behind it, while Onmund crawled over to the one on the other side of the thin ledge and hid behind it. He then proceeded to demonstrate his strategy as he stood up from behind the pillar, quickly firing off his lightning spell down to Morokei below, striking him. He then quickly crouched back down behind the pillar.

Danielle followed suit and fired off her Firebolt, but it took a lot longer for her because she had to aim. One advantage of shock spells was that they required very little aim, if any at all, since the lightning honed in on its target automatically. But fire spells definitely did more damage. Danielle ducked just in time for Morokei's Lightning Bolt to fly over her head and strike the ceiling, and then she crouched back down behind the pillar.

"We can get him like this!" Onmund explained. "And we can avoid his attacks this way." He then stood up to fire off another quick Lightning Bolt when he noticed that Morokei wasn't in the same spot that he was in before. "Huh?" he questioned, scanning the floor below. "Where did he go?" He slowly got out from behind the pillar to get a closer look.

Danielle slowly got up, too, and followed him. They both stood, ready to fire their spells below, but the Dragon Priest was nowhere to be seen.

"Three can play this game," they heard the ghostly voice say. Suddenly, they saw Morokei float out from behind a tall pillar on the floor below and Onmund cried out, "There he is!" He and Danielle were about to unleash their spells on him but he was quicker. In a flash, Morokei outstretched his hand and cast Chain Lightning.

In the amount of time that it took for Onmund to blink, the powerful lightning bolt struck both him and then Danielle. "Aghhhh!" he screamed as his body felt like it was being ripped in two. He saw a bright flash of colors before he fell to his knees. He glanced up to see Danielle falling to her knees, as well, and he struggled to breathe. He heard another crack of thunder and he quickly pressed himself flat on the ground as another Lightning Bolt flew overhead. For a few seconds, he felt totally consumed by the burning pain throughout his whole body, but he managed to pull Danielle over to him and get both of them to crawl back over to the pillar that he was hiding behind before.

"Ohhh, it burns!" Danielle cried out. "Here. Let me…heal you…"

"No!" he protested weakly. "Heal yourself, first!"

She then lifted a shaky hand up and proceeded to cast a healing spell on herself. Onmund struggled to fight through the pain he was feeling and get up to a sitting position so that he could get a healing potion out of his bag. He saw Danielle finish her healing spell and begin crawling over to him. Just then, another spray of sparks flew up from down below and hit her, and she doubled back over, nearly falling on him.

"Danielle…forget about me…" Onmund spoke, gritting his teeth. "Kill the Dragon Priest. I will…recover."

"Are you sure?" she questioned worriedly, not leaving his side.

"Yes!" he urged. "I…won't get hit as long as I…stay low."

She gave him a torn look before getting up to deal with Morokei.

Onmund could feel the pain beginning to subside now. But his body was beginning to feel numb, starting with his legs. It took great effort to roll over onto his back and slowly sit up. He then struggled to pull open his satchel and his heart sank when he looked inside. Several of the bottles were broken and the bottom of the bag was all wet. All three of his healing potions and one of his magicka-restoring potions had broken, spilling the contents and rendering them useless. "Damnit!" he uttered and closed up his satchel in a fit. Right about now, he wished that he had taken the time to learn the Fast Healing spell that he had bought from Phinis. He had spent so much time working on his Destruction spells that he didn't have time to sit down and read the other spell tome. He looked over at Danielle, who was employing his strategy of hiding behind the pillar and only getting up to fire shots below at Morokei. His legs felt like rubber, and he slapped at them to force some feeling back into them. It wouldn't do to be completely immobilized, he knew, but the effects of the Chain Lightning on his body were deleterious, and he had to be healed, fast. He was worried, though, that if he had Danielle concentrate all of her magicka and time on healing him, then it would leave them very vulnerable to another devastating attack. He especially didn't want to give Morokei the opportunity to conjure another Storm Atronach. Just then, he remembered something that he had put away in the back of his memories. A very long time ago, when he was first being schooled in the arcane arts under Frodrig, he had learned a single Conjuration spell. Frodrig had taught him how to conjure up a Frost Atronach, an ability that he had used a few times when he underwent his tests down in Shriekwind Bastion. If he could conjure up one now, then perhaps it would buy them enough time to have Danielle heal him. _But it's been _so_ long…_he thought, and he closed his eyes, trying to think back to the old incantations and the long-forgotten technique. He pictured Frodrig's old face, teaching him the art of Conjuration, and he tried to remember the words. Bits and pieces of it were slowly coming back to him, and with his eyes closed, he brought his hand up and began channeling his magicka. As he whispered what he remembered of the incantation out loud, he felt his hand become cold, as if he were casting a frost spell. He struggled to recall the full spell, to _feel_ it. As the magicka built up within his hand, he opened his eyes and finished the spell in his mind. He then twisted his body around so that he could peek out from behind the pillar and he brought his hand up, carefully channeling the spell. _Please let this work,_ he prayed. _Please let this be right…_He then aimed and unleashed the spell, and in that instant, something began to take form on the floor below. Morokei seemed to be taken by surprise as he looked to his left to see this strange phenomenon. The conjured shape took form, and to Onmund's joy, a Frost Atronach appeared! "Yes!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Danielle let out a gasp and she stopped casting. "Onmund, did you…?"

"It's been many years, but I can still conjure!" Onmund declared proudly.

They watched in amazement as the Frost Atronach attacked Morokei, and Morokei tried to strike back with his lightning. Onmund quickly remembered the pressing need at hand. "Danielle," he said urgently to his friend. "I need you to heal me. I…I'm slowly losing feeling in my body!"

"Oh! Right away!" Danielle cried, and immediately hurried over to him. She crouched down next to him and quickly removed her gloves. She put one hand on his forehead and the other right over his heart. As her eyes met his, he gazed at her with her face merely inches from his and he felt his heart begin to flutter. He saw her cheeks turn slightly pink and she blinked quickly and looked downward, closing her eyes to speak the incantation. Her hands began to glow white, and Onmund felt a very peculiar sensation overtake him. It was as if the very spirits of the gods began to flow through him, and he breathed in deeply, feeling lightheaded. For just an instant, he shut his eyes and an image of a cool, sparkling stream flashed in his mind and he even felt as if he could taste the clear waters upon his lips. He opened his eyes and gazed at the woman before him, and he thought, _She is so beautiful. Why haven't I ever told her this? She looks so beautiful sitting before me, doing her work as a healer._

She finished her spell, and the light from her hands faded. Before she could take her hand off of his heart, he placed his hand over hers and she looked up at him in surprise. "A-are you…better?" she stammered nervously.

Onmund nodded, not taking his eyes off of hers. He opened his mouth to speak- to tell her how beautiful she was to him when all of a sudden they heard an explosion, like glass shattering. They both gave a start and Danielle immediately stood up. "Your Frost Atronach!" she cried. "It's destroyed!"

Onmund stood up quickly, as well, and looked down at the floor below. His atronach was gone, and Morokei was still alive. However, he was doubled over, as if he had taken a pretty beating. A well of hope began to rise within Onmund. "He's…he's pretty much done for!" he proclaimed. "Come on. Now's the time to get him!" Danielle followed him to the edge of the thin ledge and they went all out, unleashing their most powerful spells on Morokei as the wizard faltered and became weaker and weaker.

Finally, the Dragon Priest looked up at them and yelled, "Nooo!" He reached up, grabbed a hold of his mask and pulled it off of his face. As Danielle cowered and Onmund recoiled at the sight of his hideous-looking face, he began disintegrating. The mages watched in awe as the Dragon Priest's body began slowly falling away in a black mist. The staff and mask that he was holding fell to the floor with a thud. There was nothing left of Morokei except a pile of black ashes.

"We did it!" Danielle cried, looking at Onmund in disbelief. "We killed him!"

"We did…we did kill him…" Onmund breathed. He was just as incredulous as she was.

Suddenly, her expression changed and she exclaimed, "The staff!"

Onmund now remembered. They both hurried back down the steps to the platform where the pile of ashes was. Danielle picked up the staff and held it triumphantly. Onmund bent down and picked up Morokei's mask. "This is a _Dragon Priest_ mask," he declared. "No doubt it has all sorts of enchantments on it." He examined it in his hands.

"_You_ can keep the mask," Danielle teased. "_This_ is more important."

Onmund chuckled and looked at her. "Oh, I'm not doubting that in the least!" he responded. "Come on, let's go take that back to the College. We have no time to lose and we'll need to backtrack all the way through the ruin again!"

"I think…there may be another way out of here. Behind those platforms," she said, pointing to the platform that they had spent the battle on, "I thought I saw a door back there."

"Oh, then let's go see!"

Together, they made their way up to the platform again, and sure enough, there was a set of steps behind it that led down through another passage with wooden double doors at the end.

"Let's see where this leads," Danielle said, and they both went on through.

When they crossed the threshold, Danielle was suddenly overcome with emotion. "Onmund!" she cried. "I…I just had another vision again."

"What was it?" he asked her.

"Savos…" she started. "He stood here…alone. Those mages that we saw up on the high platform previously? Those were…Savos' friends. They…they all perished."

"What?!" he questioned. "What do you mean?"

"They sacrificed their lives to seal Morokei away within this tomb," she explained. "And Savos…he left here alone, sealing this place away vowing never to return."

Onmund looked down at the ground, letting the story sink in. "They…they couldn't defeat Morokei when they came in here, then. So they sealed him inside the ward, instead. It all makes sense now…"

"Poor Savos."

"Our College is just so full of secrets. So many stories of conquests and tragedies." He sighed and then looked at her. "Do you realize what this means? We are the only ones who could defeat Morokei! Savos and his friends couldn't. And who knows how many countless others have tried and failed? Danielle, you and I…we've accomplished an impressive feat!"

Danielle looked up at him and slowly nodded. "I don't know what to say. I guess Mirabelle and the Psijic monk were right to believe in us."

"And we've still got work to do. I'm going to need some energy, first, though." He then reached into his wet satchel and pulled out a bottle of stamina potion, one of the only potions that weren't damaged during the fight. "Want one, too?" he asked.

"I have one," she replied, and reached into her own satchel. She pulled the bottle out and together, they drank and instantly felt more energized.

"Let's go back and put a stop to Ancano's destruction!" Onmund proclaimed.

Danielle raised the Staff of Magnus up and declared, "For Winterhold!"

"For Winterhold," he echoed, and they continued onwards.


	15. The Eye of Magnus

They quickly made their way through a series of tunnels until they got to a door that they hadn't opened before. Danielle pulled it open and gasped when they saw Ancano standing there. "Ah ha! Found you!" he exclaimed and readied a spell.

Danielle instantly raised her staff and Onmund readied his spells. But after a closer look at the Thalmor's face, he realized that it _wasn't_ Ancano.

"So, you made it out of there alive," he declared. "Ancano was right…you _are_ dangerous."

"Who are you?!" Danielle demanded, channeling a fire spell in her left hand and still holding the staff with her right.

"Estormo, a name you will remember well when I am through with you. Not that you will, anyway," the Thalmor mocked. "I'm afraid I'll have to take that staff from you now. Ancano wants it kept safe…and he wants you dead. Nothing personal."

Danielle narrowed her eyes and warned, "Get out of our way."

Estormo laughed. "You fool. You don't stand a chance." In the blink of an eye, he shot Danielle with Sparks, hitting her before she could even react or ward.

"Ugh!" she cried out and doubled over.

Onmund boiled with rage. _How dare he hurt her?!_ "Argh!" he screamed out, shooting out Lightning Bolts from both of his hands at Estormo. The Thalmor cried out and bent over in pain at the unexpected attack as Onmund yelled fiercely, "You're gonna deal with _me_, now! Storm mage to storm mage!"

Panting and seething, Estormo got up and hissed, "You shall die, Nord!" Onmund then quickly put up his ward as Estormo shot him with Lightning Bolts.

Recovering from the strike, Danielle stood up and aimed the Staff of Magnus at Estormo and unleashed its power.

"Gah!" he cried out, writhing as the staff's power affected him.

Danielle stopped using the staff on him and he tried to shoot her again with a shock spell but then gasped when he saw that he was suddenly unable to cast. "No!" he cried, looking at his hands in shock. "My magicka is all gone!"

"Aww, too bad," Onmund remarked sarcastically. "I was beginning to enjoy our tete-a-tete."

"You…you must not take that staff back to the College!" Estormo cried. "You don't know what kind of power it has!"

"I think we know _exactly_ what kind of power it has," Danielle retorted, jabbing the bottom of his chin with the tip of the staff. "The power to make wizards like you cry tears of mercy."

Onmund tried not to laugh as the Thalmor looked at her with fear in his eyes. "Please…give me that staff. I will talk to Ancano. I will tell him to end this madness!"

"You…are going to _take_ us to Ancano," she instructed, still keeping the staff jammed below his chin. "And you _are_ going to talk to him and tell him to end it. But we are not giving you this staff. Instead, we will show him exactly what it does if he does not listen to you."

"F-fine…very well," he responded, grimacing.

Danielle took the staff away from him and he huffed before declaring, "You will not get away with this! When I return to the embassy, I will let everyone there know what happened here and what you College mages are _really_ about! And I guarantee that they will have the College in Skyrim shut down!"

"We'll see about that," Danielle mocked, forcing him through the ruin as Onmund followed, thoroughly entertained by this ensuing game.

They finally reached the exit, which was a hatch that they had to climb a ladder to get through. Danielle climbed up first, followed by Estormo and then Onmund. As Onmund climbed out of the hatch out into the open, Estormo snatched the staff from Danielle and clamped his hand over her mouth all in one fell swoop, jerking her back towards him.

"Hey…!" Onmund cried out, immediately arming himself with his spells as the Thalmor laughed. "You stupid College mages," he scoffed. "You're as easy to ambush as fawns."

Onmund nearly let go of his lightning spells, wanting to kill the elf for hurting Danielle, but he stopped himself just in time to realize that Estormo really had him cornered this time. He wouldn't be able to use any of his spells- shock or frost, without hurting Danielle in the process. He still had her in his tight grip, her mouth completely covered by his hand, her eyes wide with fright. He just stood there, unable to do anything.

"What's the matter, Nord?" Estormo jeered. "Can't use your spells because you're afraid to hurt your lady friend? Tell you what; I'll make it an easier choice for you by taking _away_ your ability to cast completely!" He then aimed the staff towards Onmund and unleashed its power.

"Agh!" Onmund cried out as he felt all of his magicka drain out of him. The shock spells that he had channeled in his hands fizzled out. He hung his hands at his sides, gaping at the Thalmor in astonishment and defeat.

Estormo turned his head toward his captive and said, "And just to make sure _you_ can't try anything either…" He tipped the staff towards her and began draining the magicka out of her, as well.

Danielle's face contorted in pain and she made a, "mmpbth" sound.

"You…you bastard!" Onmund cried angrily. "You evil elf!"

"Evil?" Estormo questioned, acting shocked. "Oh, no, my Talos-worshipping friend. I've yet to do anything evil. Evil would be…well, for instance, seeing what this staff does to a person when all of their magicka has already been drained."

Onmund gulped as he first looked at Danielle and then at him. With a sinister grin, he pointed the staff at Onmund and unleashed its power again.

Onmund felt a sharp, twisting pain right in the center of him that made him cry out and fall to his knees. _That staff drains a person's health when they're all out of magicka!_ he concluded. _This can't go on like this…or he'll kill us both!_ As the Thalmor cackled to himself at this discovery, Onmund fought through the pain and gathered up some courage. With pure adrenaline pumping through his veins, he sprang up from the ground, projecting his arms in front of him, and propelled his body right at the Altmer, ramming him like an elk bull. Letting go of the staff and Danielle, the tall but thin-framed Thalmor fell backwards and onto the stone floor. Onmund fell on top of him, grabbed a hold of his head, and began bashing his head repeatedly onto the ground. He was screaming obscenities incoherently, not really aware of what he was saying or thinking, but rather on auto-pilot, raging like a wild animal. He then vaguely remembered Danielle yelling something at him and being pulled off of Estormo by her tiny arms.

When he looked down at Danielle's face, he seemed to snap out of it. He looked back down at the Thalmor on the ground, now dead, and saw how bloodied his head and neck were and cringed. I_ did that? I did that to him? With my bare hands?_ he asked himself in bewilderment. He looked back at Danielle and asked, "Are you…are you all right?"

"Yes," she nodded, still giving him that frightened look.

He looked down and saw that she had her hands on his arms, as if she were non-verbally trying to tell him to calm down. Immediately, he felt ashamed and looked down at the ground, "I…I can't believe what happened. One minute I saw him ready to kill both you and me, and the next, I had him on the ground, bludgeoning him to death."

"I didn't…expect you to do that," she said to him. "To pounce on him like that."

"I…I didn't know what else to do," he explained. "My spells were useless, and he had me at his mercy. I just…I just reacted." He looked back at Danielle and gazed into her eyes. "I'm sorry if…if I scared you. I won't…do anything like that again."

She continued to gaze up at him in silence for a few seconds before she finally said, "We'd better find the staff. It rolled down the steps here somewhere."

"Right," Onmund said, snapping back to the current situation and following her down the stone steps. They found the staff lying at the bottom, having rolled down there after the bout with Estormo. Danielle picked it up and they went on their way back to the College.

As they neared Winterhold, Danielle and Onmund gasped as they saw that the College was completely engulfed in a swirling barrier of magicka. "I…I hope we're not too late!" Onmund cried as they broke into a run towards the town.

A guard stood at the front of the street and stopped them. "Halt! Are you from the College?"

"Yes. Yes we are!" Onmund responded.

"Then go tell your colleagues to stop this madness at once!" the guard demanded. "They're going to destroy Winterhold! We've already evacuated the city. If you're not here to go tend to this mess, then you'd best get out of here."

"We have business there, and we'd like to go through," Danielle declared.

"Then hurry up!" the guard urged. "Before the whole town is destroyed!"

Onmund and Danielle ran past him and up the town street until they got to the bridge. They saw Tolfdir, Faralda, and Arniel battling with more wisp-like Magic Anomalies and Onmund cried, "Oh no, not again!" and he and Danielle ran into the fray.

"Onmund! Danielle!" Tolfdir cried. "You're back alive!" A wisp then flew at him and he destroyed it with a fire spell.

Onmund struck one of the wisps with his Lightning Bolt as Danielle yelled to Tolfdir, "We got the staff!" The wisp then flew right towards Danielle, and Onmund struck it again just in the nick of time and the three of them shielded their faces as the explosion of ice crystals flew all around them.

He heard Arniel breathe a sigh of relief. "Are they all gone for now?"

"For now…" Faralda replied. "I have a feeling that's not the last of them, though…"

Arniel groaned and replied, "I don't know how long we can keep this up."

Tolfdir looked at his two worn-out colleagues with concern and then back at Danielle. "Danielle…things are not looking good here. Everyone else is trapped inside the College. Those Magic Anomalies keep appearing and we're trying to keep them away from town. Ancano's power is growing by the minute. I don't know how much longer we can hold down. Let's hope the staff is as powerful as the Psijics believe it to be. Do you know how to use it?"

"I-I think so," Danielle stammered. "If it does what I think it does, it should be able to drain Ancano's power."

"Then let's go," he replied. "I'll be right behind you!"

With that, Onmund and Tolfdir followed Danielle across the bridge. She then stopped in the middle and raised the staff towards the College. As she began using it, the huge barrier around the building began to shrink.

"It's working!" Onmund exclaimed.

Tolfdir, Arniel, and Faralda just stared in disbelief.

As Danielle continued using the staff, the barrier became thinner and smaller until it completely disappeared.

Tolfdir laughed with joy. "You did it! The ward has been brought down! Hurry, we must go inside!"

The five of them ran towards the campus and into the gates. Tolfdir then began giving instructions. "Arniel, Faralda, go make sure everyone else is safe. Danielle, Onmund, let us go into the Hall of Elements and take care of Ancano."

Arniel and Faralda obeyed the Destruction professor and went their separate ways while the rest headed for the Hall of Elements. "Tolfdir," Danielle piped up. "Where's Mirabelle?"

Tolfdir's expression darkened as he replied sadly, ""She…she didn't make it."

"What?!" Danielle and Onmund uttered at the same time.

"She…she's dead. When it was clear we were going to have to fall back, she stayed behind and made sure the rest of us were all right. But disaster struck when another explosion like the one that killed Savos occurred, and she was caught up in it."

Onmund and Danielle let the words sink in and he saw Danielle's face become torn. But they had no time to reflect on the loss as they had more urgent things to tend to at the moment. They hurried into the Hall of Elements. Once inside, things looked as they did before with the Eye floating in the training hall and Ancano casting energy from it. As they began approached him, Tolfdir yelled, "Ancano! This ends now!"

Ancano stopped casting and looked at the mages who had entered. He was glowing with a bluish aura, and his eyes were wild. "So you've come for me, have you?" he sneered. "You think I don't know what you're up to? You think I can't destroy you? The power to unmake the world at my fingertips, and you think you can do anything about it?"

"You have no idea what you're doing," Tolfdir hissed. "You don't even know how to control the power which you speak of!"

"I have all the control I need!" Ancano bellowed. "I can control the Eye! I already have control of the College! And now, I will have control over you!"

"Ward!" Tolfdir yelled as Ancano cast a powerful bolt of lightning at all three of them.

Onmund and Danielle put up their wards as well as Tolfdir as the lightning hit them without doing any damage.

"Your wards are useless!" Ancano declared. "One more strike, and I will have you all on your knees begging for mercy!"

"Don't be so sure!" Danielle declared, holding up the staff. "You will be at _our_ mercy."

Ancano looked at her with a smirk and mocked, "I am not afraid of your Novice spells. My power is greater than all three of yours combined!" He then got ready to cast another spell and Danielle raised the staff and used it on him. Ancano gasped in surprise as his spells fizzled out. He looked at his hands, his face faltering for a moment before turning into a smirk. He snorted and said, "So you know how to wield an enchanted staff. Impressive. But still no match for my infinite power!" His eyes gleaming wildly again, he turned towards the Eye and cast some sort of spell on it, which made him glow blue again. His hands then charged up with another spell and Tolfdir yelled again, "Ward!" as he unleashed the barrage of lightning bolts on them.

Everyone put up their wards again, but as the lightning struck Onmund's ward, which was the weakest of the three, it shattered, leaving him vulnerable.

"Danielle!" Tolfdir cried. "Use the staff on the Eye!"

As Danielle immediately raised the staff towards the Eye, Ancano broke out into derisive laughter. "Still you persist?! This is most comical!" He got ready to cast another spell on them again and Onmund gulped. _If I'm struck again, I could be a goner…_

Suddenly, the Eye began to glow very brightly as Danielle continued using the staff on it, and they all turned towards it. "Huh? What's going on?" Ancano demanded as it glowed brighter and brighter. Just then, it exploded, and all Onmund could see was bright white as he was thrown backwards. He fell against the steps around the outer edge of the hall, feeling his tailbone hit the floor hard. He picked himself off the floor and glanced all around him. He saw Tolfdir and Danielle picking themselves up off the floor, as well, but didn't see Ancano. _Where is that despicable Thalmor? _he wondered, looking all around him. He then saw him. He was lying on the floor near the Eye, and he didn't appear to be moving. The three mages ran over to him.

With his face set, Tolfdir announced, "He's dead."

Onmund and Danielle looked up at their professor as he continued, "It is finished. His tyranny and destruction is no more." He looked at his two students and smiled. "You have conquered the Eye's power. I knew you could do it!"

The two students, while vaguely understanding that they had saved the College, could barely muster smiles of their own. Relief and joy were overshadowed by exhaustion and grief.

"Onmund and Danielle…you have done our College a great service," Tolfdir went on. "I promise you that this will not go unrecognized. But you're both probably exhausted. There will be no more training today while we try to recover from all this damage, so you both may take the day off."

_I'm glad to hear that,_ Onmund thought with relief as Tolfdir added, "Tomorrow, though, we will have an assembly in here at ten in the morning. Everyone in the College is required to attend." He then dismissed them.

Onmund and Danielle walked out of the Hall of Elements together. As they walked across the courtyard in silence, suddenly Danielle stopped. He turned over to look at her, and he saw that her head was bent down so that her hood completely obscured her face. He was about to ask her what she was doing when he saw her shoulders begin to shake. She was crying. Overcome with compassion, he put his arm around her and pulled her to him, wrapping both of his arms around her as she buried her face in his shoulder. She wept quietly, and while Onmund could only guess why, he supposed that there were a lot more emotions involved than just grief over Mirabelle's death. There was immense physical exhaustion for one, and he shared that feeling. Despite having downed a stamina potion before they left Labyrinthian, he knew that he was running on pure adrenaline from the time he had violently attacked Estormo to when they had fought and defeated Ancano. And now, he just felt tired in every sinew and muscle. Compounded with all of the events that had transpired and the deaths of two prominent College members, Onmund wondered that he wasn't a weeping mess, himself, right now. Instead, he just held his grieving, broken-down friend in his arms- his _best_ friend, and knew that their world would never be the same again.

When Danielle felt that she had had enough of Onmund's comforting, they walked into the Hall of Attainment. The other students were there and were anxious to hear what the two apprentices had to say, but Onmund only remembered telling them, "Ancano is dead." This was followed by cries of relief and exclamations of joy, but Onmund and Danielle were too exhausted to celebrate. They both went straight to their rooms and passed out in their beds.

Onmund slept for sixteen hours straight and then woke up every now and then in the middle of the night. Whatever celebrations and jubilee that took place for the past day, he had no recollection or awareness of as he was out cold the entire time. He had an inkling that Danielle was in the same boat. Now the Hall of Attainment was quiet and dark. No longer feeling completely drained of his mental faculties, his mind alighted with many different thoughts. _She and I have been through a lot in the past several days. I wonder if she feels the same way as I do? I feel like the life of a mage so far has been a lot more than just lots of studying and learning different spells. There are very real moral implications of everything we do. At one extreme, there's Ancano who only wanted absolute power and was going to harness it at whatever cost. And it ended up costing him- namely his life. Then at the other end, there's Tolfdir who's very cautious about magic and its effects. So where do I fit in on this spectrum? _He pondered this for a while but still felt unsure about where he stood. He greatly valued the benefits of magic, especially when it came to healing injuries and when it came to defending one's self in a fix. And he _did_ feel powerful every time he unleashed his lightning spells, especially after those spells helped him take down a dragon and a Giant. In contrast, there was just no comparison to the awful, power_less_ feeling he got when Estormo had drained all of his magicka with the Staff of Magnus and he was _unable_ to cast. He cringed as he remembered how he had reacted in the heat of the moment- how he had assaulted him with his bare hands, murdering him. Any other Nord would be proud of such a feat, but Onmund only felt shame, especially when he remembered the way Danielle had looked at him when she pulled him off of Estormo's body. She looked at him as if he were a dangerous animal, and he couldn't blame her because that was what he had basically become at that very moment- he had acted no better than an animal. _Danielle…_He pictured her face again in his mind, this time picturing her as she was smiling at him and laughing at his jokes. _Why do I care so much? Why do I care so much what she thinks of me? _Brelyna's words began echoing in his mind again. _Danielle…having a crush on me. Me…having a crush on her. I don't have a crush on her. I see some of myself in her. I long to understand her more. I admire everything about her. I…I love her!_ As this realization hit him, he knew that there was no denying it. He was in love with Danielle. And if to Brelyna, that was a "crush," then so be it. _But what am I supposed to do? Should I tell someone? Should I…gulp…tell _her_? And what would she say?_ She was his best friend. He imagined that if he told her these things, then she could either react good or bad. And it was the latter possibility that scared him the most. _If she reacted badly, then…she won't want to be my friend anymore. And all of the good times that we could have together would be essentially over. I don't know if that's worth it. But if she reacted _well_, meaning if…if she also shared the same feelings then, well…that would be _wonderful_. _Onmund began to feel torn. He couldn't decide which was the better choice. But he knew that he definitely didn't want to lose her as a friend. He finally decided to just wait. He could wait until the right time to make his decision. _Maybe if we…spend more time together…I can become sure of whether I should tell her or not. The answer may come to me, then. With the threat of Ancano gone, things at the College should be returning back to normal. We'll go back to studying together, taking walks in the courtyard, and going out to lunch. Maybe we can also go on another field trip together, and we'll have plenty of opportunities to spend time talking and getting a deeper understanding of one another._ With that decision made, he fell back asleep looking forward to the days ahead.

* * *

_Here is the end of what I'd like to call Act I of this entire story! Don't worry, there's plenty more ahead, especially if you're interested in seeing how Onmund deals with his newfound feelings for Danielle! I heavily improvised the scene with Estormo to make it more climactic than it was in the game so I hope you like it._


	16. Transition

Morning came at the College of Winterhold, and at ten o'clock in the morning, the entire student and faculty body were gathered in the Hall of Elements for the assembly. Everyone had assembled in a circle around where the Eye had been. The Eye was no longer there, and everyone soon found out that the Psijic monks had come the night before and taken it away with them, having deemed it too dangerous and unstable to remain there. Onmund stood between Danielle and J'zargo in the circle, listening to Tolfdir talk for the past fifteen minutes from his spot in the center. He had mourned with them over the loss of Savos Aren and Mirabelle Ervine, lectured them about the lessons learned from Ancano's dealings with the College, and then explained how the Psijic monks had come during the night to take the Eye away, saying, "Our world was not ready for the Eye's power. The loss of one too many lives was the testimony to that." He paused, as everyone once again reflected in silence over the loss of Savos, Mirabelle, and Ancano. "But now," he continued, segueing into the next portion of his lecture, "with that threat gone and the Eye no longer in our realm, we can resume College business as normal. The College is safe again, thanks to the work of several people here. But this morning, I wish to recognize a select few for their stepping up to the formidable task of overcoming the Eye's power and for ensuring the College's and Winterhold's safety. Arniel, will you please step forward?"

With humble poise, the Breton scholar stepped forward and stood by Tolfdir in the center.

"Phinis, please step forward," Tolfdir continued, and Phinis joined him.

"Enthir, please step forward." Onmund bristled a bit as the conniving Bosmer went up.

"Faralda, please step forward. Drevis, please step forward. J'zargo, please step forward."

J'zargo beamed as he joined the elite group.

"Onmund, please step forward."

Surprised at hearing his name, Onmund walked over to the group and stood next to J'zargo.

"Danielle, please step forward."

Onmund smiled as his best friend joined him in the center of the circle.

"These seven that you see here, have gone above and beyond their call of duty," Tolfdir explained. "They not only have fulfilled every expectation, but I believe, have _exceeded_ every expectation to ensure the safety of their fellow mages and have shown immense courage, valor, and integrity in the face of extreme trial. And for this, we wish to offer each and every one of them a token of our utmost appreciation." He reached over to the pedestal near him and produced a silver medal. There were seven of them total, and they were all engraved with the College symbol and motto, "Animus manu crescat," which meant, "The mind must improve with the hand." He presented them to each mage, one-by-one. As Onmund took the medal from his professor, he beamed proudly. _Yesterday, he had said to me and Danielle that our service wouldn't go unrecognized. This is great! _He then watched as Danielle received the last medal and then everyone in the room applauded.

Having received their medals, the seven mages all went back to the edge of the circle again. Onmund, J'zargo, and Danielle rejoined Brelyna at the edge and she smiled proudly at them. Tolfdir turned to address the crowd again. "Now…we are about to do something most unprecedented in College history. Normally, students must take a test in which they demonstrate both their scholarly and practical knowledge in the school of magic that they are in, and if they pass, they graduate on to the next level of learning. However, today I wish to present to you three students who have demonstrated such knowledge and then some, and whom I believe have already proven themselves worthy of the merit which is about to bestowed upon them. J'zargo, Onmund, and Danielle, would you please step forward again?"

The three apprentices all looked at each other in surprise and joined Tolfdir again in the center of the circle. "These three Novice mages joined our ranks just one month ago. Under my professorship, they have shown great academic progress and great mastery of basic Destruction spells. Therefore, it gives me great joy to bestow upon them the titles of Apprentice Destruction Mages."

Onmund was floored. _Apprentice Destruction Mage!_ he thought with awe. _This is the dragon's scales!_

Tolfdir then presented each of them with Apprentice Robes and a Hood. Each set was neatly folded up and when he presented it to Onmund, Onmund took it, feeling his whole body tremble with excitement. _I'm moving on up here!_ he thought proudly. _And now the four of us- me, Danielle, J'zargo, and Brelyna are all officially Apprentices. This is a dream come true!_

Everyone around the circle applauded again and the three newly-promoted apprentices went back to their previous spots. "Congratulations!" Brelyna whispered as they joined her.

Just when Onmund felt as if he couldn't take any more excitement, Tolfdir said to them, "And now…I wish to get to the conclusion of this assembly with another important announcement. As you all know, we have vacancies in both the Master Wizard and Arch-Mage positions. After careful deliberation with my fellow wizards, I am going ahead with filling the Master Wizard position myself."

_No surprise there,_ Onmund thought. _Out of all the wizards at the College, Tolfdir _has_ been here the longest._

"Until a time in which another arrangement can be made to find a full-time professor for the School of Destruction, I and the new Arch-Mage shall be doing double-duty between the two," he went on.

_The new Arch-Mage…I wonder whom they have chosen to be _that_ person?_ Onmund wondered curiously. He had no doubt that everyone else in the room wondered the same thing.

"And now…I'm sure you are all curious to know who has been chosen as the new Arch-Mage," Tolfdir continued.

The room fell silent, as even the chattering and murmuring that had been going on on the side had stopped.

"After careful deliberation among the wizards, the answer actually came to us by way of one of the Psijic monks by the name of Quaranir, who recommended this particular individual with great fervor. After hearing his appeal, we had come to the same opinion that this person's character, qualifications, and standing are a perfect match for the demands of such a position. I was given one night to ponder upon the matter, and I daresay that the Psijics are right. There is no one more deserving to be Arch-Mage than this individual."

_Well, who is it then?!_ Onmund wondered anxiously. _The suspense is killing me!_

With his eyes, Tolfdir honed in on the person at the edge of the circle. "Danielle, will you please step forward?"

A collective gasp rose from the crowd and Onmund felt as if a massive boulder had fallen on him. His jaw dropped and his eyes went wide and he saw Danielle's identical reaction before she slowly stepped up towards Tolfdir.

Tolfdir presented the mage standing next to him, saying, "In the midst of the chaos surrounding the events in the past several days, Danielle has shown again and again what a model mage should be. When things became dire, she took the initiative to investigate the Eye and its mysterious power herself, ultimately leading to the discovery of the Staff of Magnus. She and Onmund ventured into the dangerous and forsaken ruin of Labyrinthian and conquered the dangers within in order to retrieve this long-lost artifact. And in the end, she triumphed over evil, securing our College for future endeavors. It is with great honor that I present these robes to our new Arch-Mage, Danielle Sweeting."

Danielle looked like she was going to burst with emotion as Tolfdir handed her the Arch-Mage's Robes, and she said humbly, "Thank you."

"It will be a great privilege to work with you," he replied to her, smiling. He then turned to the crowd and declared, "Thank you for your attendance this morning. With the help of the new Arch-Mage and of course everybody's optimism and hard work, we shall usher the College of Winterhold into a new era! You are all dismissed!"

Once again, Onmund felt overcome with so many different feelings at once. He joined the others in congratulating Tolfdir and Danielle on their new positions, all the while secretly wondering what the implications of these changes were going to entail. _Tolfdir said earlier that he along with the Arch-Mage were going to preside over the School of Destruction. Does that mean that Danielle will still be a student like I am? How is that going to work?_ He had no idea, but as he saw Danielle approach him, all of his thoughts melted away as she lit up at him and Onmund took in her beautiful smile, giving her one in return. "Congratulations, Danielle!" he said enthusiastically.

She stood before him and replied, "Thank you, Onmund! I'm just so…taken by all this. I don't know what to say."

"You deserve it," he said to her. "If there's anyone I know who has the capacity to lead the College, it's you. I'm really happy for you."

She smiled up at him again, her eyes filled with meaning. What that meaning was, he couldn't even guess, but as he became lost in her gaze, he felt as if he should tell her then and there how much he admired and adored her and how much she meant to him. But he had to remember that there were many others in the room, and no doubt they wanted to have some of her time, as well. Reluctantly, he let her go and let her receive her well-wishes from the other College members and he went back to talking to J'zargo and Brelyna.

"Wow, I can't believe it," Brelyna uttered. "Danielle, the Arch-Mage. Never would've guessed it."

"J'zargo had expected to be named Arch-Mage," J'zargo mused, rubbing his chin. "But there is still time."

Onmund chuckled at his two friends' comments. He was speechless about the whole thing, and Brelyna became curious. "So what do you think of all this, Onmund?" she asked. "Are you happy for Danielle?"

"Absolutely," he responded. "I know that she's going to make a fine Arch-Mage!"

"But is she going to be our professor now, or what?" J'zargo questioned. "J'zargo is confused about what Tolfdir had said earlier."

"I don't think she'll be our professor, as in _teaching_ us," Brelyna said. "To tell you the truth, I don't know _how_ that will work."

As the two Apprentices verbally speculated upon all of the changes that were happening, Onmund tuned them out momentarily to look over at Danielle, who was busy chatting with Nirya, one of the scholars and thought, _I'm so proud of her- my friend, the Arch-Mage. Surely, this event is a cause for celebration! I hope I get a chance to talk to her again because I really want to take her out to the Frozen Hearth again. This time, I'll have to see about ordering some Ale for the both of us…_Not only was that particular drink his favorite, but he conjectured that if he got to feeling courageous and loose enough, he might actually think about letting her know how he felt about her.

Everyone slowly started vacating the training hall until just Tolfdir and his students remained, including Danielle.

"Well, as you're probably wondering, I will still be your teacher," Tolfdir proclaimed.

Everyone seemed to react with relief to this news, including Danielle, herself.

"But as far as being in charge of training sessions in general, including taking you out on field trips, I will leave that to Arch-Mage Sweeting," he continued. "Her word is final, and I trust that you will respect her authority."

"It will be strange and new, but J'zargo is good at obeying orders," J'zargo remarked.

"Very good," Tolfdir said. "You are all dismissed for now, except for Danielle. We shall meet after lunch for class, and we will all learn new spells now that you are all Apprentices." He then turned to Danielle and said, "Danielle, I will need you to come with me."

As Onmund, Brelyna, and J'zargo went out of the Hall of Elements, leaving Tolfdir and Danielle alone, Onmund felt a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to talk to her until later. But he figured that she was going to be tasked with all sorts of duties now that she was in charge of the College. _I wonder what that's going to be like having her in charge of everything?_ he wondered. _I never really got to interact with Savos when he was Arch-Mage so I don't know how he treated students, so it makes me wonder how things will be between me and her from now on._ Suddenly, he had an alarming thought. _I'm in love with the Arch-Mage…_he realized. Suddenly, his desire to talk to her about his feelings seemed like a very bad idea. _I can't be in love with her now! That would be…wrong! A student in love in with the Arch-Mage…what would everyone else think?_ Brelyna's voice suddenly broke into his thoughts.

"I'm really glad that Danielle is in charge," she said. "I don't mind taking orders from her."

"J'zargo thinks it's a little unfair to put an Apprentice in charge of other Apprentices," the Khajiit quipped.

"But she's just an Apprentice in Destruction," Brelyna pointed out. "She's also an Expert in Restoration. Anyway, everyone in leadership is supportive of her being named the Arch-Mage. And so am I."

"It will just take some getting used to," J'zargo admitted. "But if she starts bossing Khajiit around, then we're going to have a real problem."

Brelyna opened the door to the Hall of Attainment and the three of them went in. "She's not a bossy type of person."

As they stood in the foyer about to go their separate ways, Brelyna looked at Onmund and said, "You've been awfully quiet since we left the training hall. Does it bother you at all that Danielle's in charge of us now?"

Feeling like he was being put on the spot, he answered nervously, "No! It doesn't bother me."

"You don't think she's a bossy person, do you?" she asked him.

"No," he responded, not really feeling like taking part in this conversation.

"Next time J'zargo will go with her to dangerous Nordic ruins," J'zargo declared. "He wants the chance to prove to her how good he is with his spells."

"I doubt we could get away with that anymore," Brelyna asserted. "Now that she's Arch-Mage, she can't be showing favoritism towards certain students. She has to treat everyone fairly."

"She wasn't showing favoritism towards me!" Onmund piped up defensively.

"I didn't say she was," she said. "Not before, anyway. But now that she's in a leadership position, she can't be spending all of her time training with just one person."

J'zargo laughed. "I think that makes Onmund quite sad."

Onmund became flustered. "I'm not sad! Why should I be sad? It just means that she won't be spending a lot of time with you either!"

"J'zargo is not sad," J'zargo replied. "After all, he's not the one with the crush on her."

Onmund felt his face become red with embarrassment as he gave a loud sigh and protested, "I _don't_ have a crush on her!"

"J'zargo thought you did."

Onmund looked at Brelyna in an accusatory manner and the Dunmer protested, "I never said anything to him! J'zargo seems to think you do, as well!"

He felt like he was losing his composure now. He was about to open his mouth and say something, most likely something foolish, when the door opened, and Danielle walked in.

"Oh! Hi, Danielle!" Brelyna greeted as everyone stood around stiffly.

"Hi," Danielle replied. She smiled weakly and appeared to be down about something, not even picking up on the strange behavior of her three friends.

"We were just talking about you," Brelyna continued. "What's it like being Arch-Mage now?"

Danielle shrugged. "I don't know yet. But I've come in here to move my things out."

"Move your things out?" Brelyna questioned. "What do you mean?"

"You are…moving out?" J'zargo also questioned.

She looked at her three friends with a sad look on her face and responded, "Yes. I am moving into Savos' old room."

"The Arch-Mage's Quarters?" Brelyna questioned. "Ohh, that's right. Wow, I'm jealous! All that space!"

Onmund's heart sank as they said this. _Moving out? Danielle is no longer going to be with us in here_? He looked at her anxiously. _Please don't let this be true._

"J'zargo envies Danielle," J'zargo said with amazement.

"Do you need any help moving your things?" Brelyna asked.

"No, thank you," Danielle replied. "I don't have that many things to move. I'd better hurry. I have some things to do before our class."

Onmund watched in disbelief as she left the three of them and made her way to her room near the door. Without much else to say, the three Apprentices went their separate ways and he went to his own room.

As he opened his wardrobe and began unfolding his new Apprentice robes, he stole a glance over at Danielle in her room. She was quickly moving to and fro, grabbing things out of her wardrobe, chest, and desk and stuffing it all into a large sack. His heart saddened as he realized that they'd never get to talk in their rooms anymore, he'd never again be able to catch glimpses of her brushing her hair or reading a book by candlelight, and he'd never again hear her sweet voice and laughter floating through the hall as she gossiped with Brelyna. Onmund felt like his world was slowly unraveling. He didn't want things to go this way.

He quickly changed into his Apprentice robes and then he saw Danielle carry her sack of things out the door. Onmund hurried out after her and went outside, as well. "Danielle!" he called out as she was walking briskly across the courtyard.

At the sound of his voice, she turned around and looked at him. He ran over to her. So many things were running through his mind that he didn't say anything at first, so she broke the silence by saying, "You're wearing your new robes."

"Yeah," he responded. "They feel, uh, a little bit lighter than the old ones. How are your Arch-Mage's robes?"

"I haven't tried them on yet," she replied. She then gave him a wistful look and said, "Oh, Onmund. I never even congratulated you on getting promoted. I'm such a bad friend."

"No. You're not," he said softly. "A lot of stuff was on your mind probably."

She nodded. "Well, congratulations. I bet you're happy about graduating."

"Yeah…" he replied. "Thank you."

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she finally sighed and said, "I'd better get going."

"Wait," he stopped her. "I want to ask you if you'd like to have dinner with me at the Frozen Hearth tonight. We probably…won't have much time to go there for lunch."

He saw her face fall as she looked down at the ground and replied, "I can't. I would love to…but I'm having dinner with the other professors tonight." She then added in a noticeably sad tone, "I'm required to."

"Oh," he answered disappointedly. "You're required to…every night?"

She nodded slowly. "We're supposed to discuss College affairs over dinner. Savos did it when he was Arch-Mage."

"Oh, okay." He wasn't sure what to say now. He began to come to the conclusion that this was never going to work- asking her to do things with him.

"Onmund…" she started, looking up at him.

He waited for her to continue, but instead, she looked back down and said, "Never mind. I'd better go. I'll see you in class."

Onmund had no choice but to let her go. Whatever she had planned to tell him, he would never find out. "Okay. See you."

She then turned and left him standing there.

* * *

_Response to a comment on the previous chapter: I didn't realize that Estormo could be completely bypassed in the game! I guess if you leave Labyrinthian the way you came or completely sneak past him, it's possible...he doesn't seem to contribute much to the quest line and he was hardly boss-battle caliber, which was why I had to beef up his encounter in this story._


	17. Forbidden Legend

Lunch and class afterwards went by like a blur. After his and Danielle's last private conversation, Onmund did a lot of reflecting. As much as it pained him, he knew that he was going to have to get used to the new reality that was set before him. Danielle was no longer just a student, but she was now part of the College leadership. And she was charged with all of the responsibilities of being in a leadership position, which meant that her time was going to be precious and in great demand. No longer could he just walk up to her and have a little chat, much less get in some quality one-on-one time with her. She was now going to have to treat everyone equally, and that included Onmund. Anything beyond that would end up being frowned upon and would probably get both of them into trouble. Then, there was the issue of his feelings for her. If the prospect of acting on them seemed foreboding and difficult before, it was now outright impossible and forbidden, given her new station. _Nothing reeks of favoritism and scandal more than a romantic relationship between a student and a faculty member,_ he knew. He was just going to have to forget about the whole thing. But he knew it was going to be easier said than done.

At the end of class, Tolfdir gave instructions for Danielle to take all of the Apprentices out on a field trip tomorrow. He knew that it was going to be difficult to have her around and not be able to be himself around her, but with Brelyna and J'zargo there he had no choice but to be on his best behavior.

At 7AM the next morning, Onmund, Brelyna, and J'zargo met in the Hall of Elements and waited for their Arch-Mage. Onmund saw that J'zargo was also wearing his new Apprentice robes. Finally, Danielle walked in, and when Onmund saw her, his jaw dropped to the floor. She was wearing the Arch-Mage's Robes, and she looked stunning. The robes were mostly dark blue, which offset her bronze skin perfectly, and had all these intricate details on it which set it apart from regular College robes. It had another layer on top which resembled a shawl and it draped her small shoulders and hung all the way down to her waist. Frayed, white fur lined the outer edges of it. Finally, the hood was also a dark blue and framed her face and neck beautifully, and a large sapphire adorned the crown of it. Onmund thought that she resembled a goddess.

"Danielle, you look amazing in those robes!" Brelyna remarked.

Danielle smiled shyly and replied, "Thank you."

"Are they as comfortable as J'zargo believes them to be?" J'zargo asked.

"They're all right," she answered. "The hood feels sort of tight." She stole a brief glance at Onmund, who averted his eyes, feeling a little embarrassed that he had nothing to contribute. He finally blurted, "So, uh, liking your room?"

"Yes," she replied. "I have everything I need- an Alchemy lab, an Enchanter, and plenty of books."

With a pang, Onmund thought wistfully, _But you don't have us. You don't feel like you need that?_

"So where are we going?" J'zargo asked. "Somewhere warm, I hope."

Danielle chuckled and said, "We are going to Folgunthur. It is a Nordic ruin south of Solitude. I have been asked to look into the so-called 'Forbidden Legend' of Gauldur, who was Arch-Mage here in the First Era. He was mysteriously murdered and no one knows what happened, but he had three sons who had disappeared shortly after he was murdered. No one knows what happened to the three sons until recently. One of them, Jyrik Gauldurson, we found on our last field trip down in Saarthal. The magical seal placed on his body was broken and that was how he was resurrected and came after us."

"That Draugr was a son of Gauldur?" Brelyna questioned.

"He was sealed there for a reason," Onmund piped up, knowing the legend well. "The legend theorizes that he and his three brothers may have been the ones responsible for killing their father. The other brother is in Folgunthur, right?"

"Yes," Danielle replied.

"And the third?" J'zargo asked.

"Well, no one knows," she answered. "But Jyrik had in his possession a Writ of Sealing and a fragment of an amulet. This amulet." She reached under her hood and pulled out a small amulet and showed it to them. Its chain was made of twine, and it was adorned with animal teeth and a gold pendant. As the group passed it around, she continued, "It is said to have been made by Gauldur, himself."

"What did the Writ of Sealing say?" Onmund asked.

"It was a decree to bind him in his resting place forever," she answered. "The writ also accused him of being a 'murderer and betrayer.'"

"Interesting," he mused. "I'll bet my theory is right, then. He was sealed because he murdered Gauldur!"

Brelyna looked back and forth between Onmund and Danielle and commented, "You guys know so much about the history behind this legend. But if you don't mind, why don't we get going and we can talk about it some more?"

Danielle gave Onmund a sheepish glance and then looked at Brelyna and said, "Okay, that's a good idea. Let's go."

The four mages went out of the training hall and set off on their journey towards Folgunthur. As Onmund told everyone what he knew about the legend, he had begun to forget that Danielle was the Arch-Mage. In his eyes, she was just like the rest of them, albeit wearing the Arch-Mage's Robes and bearing the title. His spirits were lifted a little as he talked with her about the legend, as J'zargo had no interest in it whatsoever and Brelyna didn't know anything about it. But he had to constantly remind himself that he wasn't alone with her, and that she was here to lead them as a group.

They neared the ruin as night fell, but instead of going straight west through the marshlands that led to the ruin itself, they ventured south of it towards the town of Morthal, where they would be staying for the night. As they entered the town, one of the guards, carrying a torch, went up to them and demanded, "What business do College mages have in Morthal?"

"We are just here to stay the night," Danielle answered. "Is there an inn?"

"Moorside Inn is just around the corner there," he replied, pointing.

"Thank you," she answered and the three Apprentices followed her.

As they went into the building, J'zargo quipped, "Everyone here acts so distrustful of mages."

"Nords don't trust magic or those that use it," Onmund explained.

"Must've been difficult for you growing up," Brelyna surmised.

He nodded. "Yes it was." He gave Danielle a knowing look as they all removed their hoods. As they looked all around them, it appeared as if the Moorside Inn was deserted.

"Uh…hello," a voice greeted. It was the Redguard innkeeper from behind her counter. "Lookin' for a room?"

"A couple, actually," Danielle piped up, going up to her. "Do you have two rooms available?"

"Look around," she replied. "Room is all we got! You mages from the College?"

"Yes," Danielle answered.

"I hear there was a disaster there," she commented. "Killed a few people, including someone from the Thalmor."

"Uh, yes. But everything is back to normal now."

"Well, that's good to hear."

That was all the innkeeper inquired about the College for the time being as she prepared hot tomato soup for the four mages. Onmund and J'zargo sat at one table while Danielle and Brelyna sat at another and they all slurped up their soups in silence.

When they had finished, the innkeeper returned and gathered up their empty bowls. Danielle said to her, "We're ready to take those rooms now."

"Sure thing," the innkeeper replied. "They're yours for a day."

As everyone began getting up from their tables, suddenly the innkeeper asked, "Have you guys ever heard of a fellow named Falion bein' mentioned at the College?"

"Falion?" Danielle questioned. "No. Who is he?"

"He's the only resident wizard here in Morthal," she answered. "He used to be a faculty member there." She then paused for a beat before adding, "He's my brother."

"Oh! So your brother's a mage."

"Yeah, but he gets treated real bad around here. No one in this town trusts mages. Thought I'd let ya know in case someone gives you a hard time while you're here. Just don't…get involved with any of the town's affairs."

"Why don't they trust mages?" J'zargo asked.

"Oh, you know. Mostly ignorance. They believe that everything about magic is evil. Just too many bad happenings here in town."

"What sorts of bad happenings?" Danielle questioned.

"Mysterious deaths. Just recently, a woman and her child died in a house fire. The husband, Hroggar, was rumored to have started it himself. It also doesn't help that he's moved in with another woman the very next day."

"Ooh," Danielle responded woefully.

"Anyway, you're not stickin' around for very long, right? I'll show you to your rooms. Right this way."

After Onmund and J'zargo were shown their rooms, they closed their door and got ready for bed. Onmund couldn't help but feel uneasy that night, especially after hearing the tragic story of Hroggar and his family and about mages not being trusted in this town. _Somehow I had forgotten all about the hostile outside world as I was spending most of my days cooped up within the cozy confines of the College,_ he ruminated. _Somehow this makes me feel all the more vulnerable as a Nord mage._

The next morning, Onmund was up before J'zargo and washed his face before waking the Khajiit up.

"Not now, J'zeem!" J'zargo mumbled sharply as his snoring came to an abrupt stop after Onmund gave him a few firm taps on the arm.

Onmund chuckled. "Wake up, cat! You're dreaming!"

J'zargo opened his eyes and looked up at the Nord hovering over him and blinked. "J'zargo had a dream that he was back home," he sighed and slowly began to sit up.

"I have them a lot, too," Onmund agreed. "But we'd better get going to Folgunthur. I think the ladies are up, too. I can hear their voices in the main hall."

The two men got quickly dressed and went out into the hall.

"Hey, you're finally up!" Brelyna exclaimed. She was sitting with Danielle in front of the fire pit, and they were both drinking tea.

"J'zargo is ready to get going," the Khajiit declared. He then pointed to Onmund standing next to him and added, "This one slept like a rock and needed J'zargo to wake him up."

"You liar!" Onmund cried, and the two women laughed.

"Something tells me it was _J'zargo_ who needed the waking," Danielle teased.

J'zargo responded by baring his teeth in annoyance and this time, it was Onmund's turn to laugh, glad that she had come to his defense.

"Well, anyway, he's right," she continued, putting her cup down. "We'd better get going to Folgunthur."

Everyone quickly got their things ready and they headed out. It was very early in the morning so it was still dark out. The four mages left Morthal and headed northward to the marshlands.

As they waded through the darkness in the soft, squishy mud, guided by Danielle's torch, Onmund had to keep himself from gagging from the strong odor that seemed to be hanging heavily in the area. It reminded him of raw sewage. Danielle and Brelyna held their hoods over their noses as they carefully waded their way through the marsh.

Suddenly, they heard a rustle in the underbrush. They all stopped in their tracks and listened. "What was that?" Brelyna whispered.

"I don't know," Danielle replied.

Everyone got their spells ready and their eyes darted around them.

"What do you see, J'zargo?" Onmund asked his buddy. "You're able to see better than all of us."

"J'zargo sees nothing but lots of trees and brush," he replied. He then turned around a couple of times, surveying the land around him and suddenly he went, "Aha!" He then shot out a Lightning Bolt into the darkness and declared, "Got you!"

"What was it?" Brelyna questioned.

"Spider," he answered. "But it's dead now."

"Good job!" Danielle complimented.

Just then, there was the sound of howling nearby. The four mages exchanged frightened glances as Onmund whispered, "Wolves."

"Raargh!" J'zargo yelled and frantically shot a couple of Lightning Bolts at random into the darkness. "Where are they? Where are they?"

"J'zargo, stop that!" Onmund rasped. "You're going to attract unnecessary attention!"

They heard rustling sounds in the underbrush, and it got louder and louder. Before they could even prepare themselves, wolves came upon them. Onmund was knocked down to the ground by one who had pounced on him and he frantically fought it off, trying to keep it away from his neck. Suddenly, the wolf gave a loud squeal and fell limp. He looked up and saw Danielle looking down at him, holding a dagger. She offered him her hand and helped him up. "Thanks," he said with relief.

J'zargo and Brelyna had gotten up, as well, having been saved by Danielle who was the only person who wasn't attacked by the wolves.

"Wow. That happened so fast!" Brelyna remarked. "Danielle's a life-saver!"

"J'zargo had the wolf in a death grip," J'zargo stated. "He could have killed him, himself."

"Well, I'm thankful she helped us!" Onmund said.

"Where did you learn how to kill wolves?" Brelyna asked the Arch-Mage. "In Daggerfall?"

"No," Danielle replied. "Here in Skyrim."

"Who taught you?" she asked.

"One of my mentors," she answered.

Onmund's ears pricked at the mention of her mentor, whom he was sure was Marcurio even though she didn't say his name.

"Oh. What a valuable skill!" Brelyna commented. "I wish my mentor had taught me something like that."

Not wanting to hear this subject any longer, Onmund cleared his throat loudly and said, "We should get moving."

"Yes, let's go," Danielle agreed.

With that, the four mages continued on through the marsh. Thankfully, they didn't encounter anymore wolves or spiders. However, as they neared the location of Folgunthur, they came upon a campsite.

"What's this?" Brelyna piped up.

"Be careful," Onmund warned. "Could be bandits."

They slowly approached the circle of tents- three of them total, around a campfire in the middle. The campfire was out, and appeared to have been out for a very long time for there weren't any smoldering embers or even a remnant of smoke.

"There's no one here," Danielle proclaimed.

J'zargo's eyes darted around the trees. "J'zargo does not see anyone hiding out there, either."

Just then, something caught Onmund's eye as he peered into one of the tents. It was a small leather-bound journal. He picked it up and opened it. His eyes widened as he read the first few sentences on the first page. "Hey, guys!" he announced. "I think I've found something here!"

Danielle, Brelyna, and J'zargo hurried over to him as he held up the journal. "Looks like whoever was here was _also_ looking into the forbidden legend."

"What does it say?" Brelyna asked.

Onmund scanned through the entries quickly but didn't really find anything of great importance. From what he could gather, the author of the journal, along with some group of adventurers were looking for an amulet fragment, and he guessed that it was another piece of the amulet just like the one that Danielle had found on Jyrik's body. The last written entry was written two days prior, and it was evident that the author and his party had gone down into the ruin and had yet to return.

After explaining this to his friends, J'zargo remarked, "Something smells fishy to Khajiit. These people have not returned for two days. Otherwise, we would have found them sleeping here."

"Maybe they ran into trouble in the ruin," Onmund surmised.

"Then J'zargo will get them out of trouble!" the Khajiit declared.

"I don't know…" Onmund began uncertainly. "The dangers of these ruins aren't anything to laugh at."

"I haven't been in one since Saarthal," Brelyna said. "And we made it out of that one all right."

"That one wasn't as bad…" Danielle commented.

"Oh, that's right," Brelyna suddenly said, folding her arms and looking at her and Onmund. "You two have been around in a lot of places. J'zargo and I haven't. Didn't Tolfdir say that we should _all_ get as much field training as possible?"

Onmund felt guilty as she said this, and he knew that she had a point. All those times when he and Danielle ventured out alone to Fellglow Keep, Mzulft, and Labyrinthian, there really was no reason why they couldn't have had taken the other two Apprentices along with them. They were just so caught up in the events revolving around the Eye of Magnus that it didn't seem much of an issue to them back then, but now in retrospect, Onmund _did_ feel like he was definitely treated with favoritism by Danielle.

Danielle seemed to look uncomfortable, as well, and she finally said evenly, "Yes. We _all_ need a chance to work on our skills. And…maybe J'zargo is onto something. We should take it upon ourselves to look into the welfare of these people who have gone down into the ruin." He then looked up at Onmund and asked, "Remember how happy Orthorn was when we had rescued him?"

Onmund nodded slowly, remembering the Novice mage whom they had found and freed in Fellglow Keep. They never found out what had become of him, though. But nonetheless, he couldn't refuse the suggestion that they might be able to save the adventurers who had gone down into Folgunthur. Not with a clear conscience, anyway. "Yes. Let's go down there and see if we can't find those guys."

Brelyna smiled and said, "We should be just fine. We've got strength in numbers!"

The four mages eventually found the entrance to the ruin, and they all went inside.

* * *

_Wow, that is so funny when characters end up spawning in a rock or wall! It reminds me of a time when Onmund ended up being shoved INTO the wall by a swinging pendulum rather than being, say, cut in two? Fortunately, I was able to move him with console commands but that was pretty disconcerting! Thank you so much for your comments- about them having breakfast together, you will just have to find out! I will say, though, that Onmund is going to have a really hard time getting face-time with Danielle now that she's bogged down with all of the Arch-Mage duties._


	18. The Ivory Claw

J'zargo immediately prepared his spell and asked, "Any Draugrs in here?"

"Probably," Onmund replied. "Just be on the lookout."

As they continued forward, they saw a horrific sight before them. There was blood all over the floor and a few dead bodies lying in the middle of it.

"How horrible!" Brelyna commented as she took a step forward.

Just then, Onmund noticed the pressure plate on the floor right as she stepped onto it. Danielle must've seen it just then, as well, because together, he and Danielle reached out and grabbed her by the arms.

"Ouch!" Brelyna cried out as her two friends yanked her back just as spears came shooting out of the statues on each side of the wall, right where she had been standing just seconds before. She then let out a gasp.

"Ancient traps," Danielle explained, as she and Onmund let go of her.

"That pressure plate you stepped on set it off," Onmund added.

"Oh…thank you," Brelyna said, appearing a little shaken up. "I'm sorry…I'll be more careful next time."

As the mages stepped carefully around the pressure plate, Danielle gasped at the sight of one of the dead bodies. "This man has died recently!" she exclaimed.

The other three mages gathered around her and the body, and Onmund could see that it was a young, Nord man dressed in Fur Armor. He indeed did not appear to have been dead for long.

"Could it have been one of the adventurers who wrote that journal?" Brelyna questioned.

"It could've been," Onmund answered. "But I don't think he wrote the journal. Whoever wrote it was a mage, judging from his references to practicing spells and such."

"Some adventurer," J'zargo quipped. "He didn't even make it past the first trap."

Onmund winced. His reservations against exploring ancient Nordic ruins were starting to come back to him again like they did in Saarthal. _We really have no business poking around in here. Look where it got that fellow…_

"Surely there must be other survivors," Danielle said, which reminded him that they were in here for a good cause.

"Then let's keep looking," Onmund said finally, and they all continued onwards.

They came into a very large, airy chamber, and before they could move through it, they saw the coffins along the walls begin to break open. Several Draugrs emerged and the four mages quickly sprang into action.

As two Draugrs ran straight towards Onmund, he warded to avoid the heavy-handed blows of their swords and attacked them with Chain Lightning. He then ducked under the swing of one of their swords and ran past them to distance himself from them, but he ended up stepping right onto a patch of thick oil and he felt his feet slide right from under him and he fell hard onto his back. "Oof!" he cried out and tried to get up quickly.

Just then, he heard Danielle shout, "Everyone get away from the oily patch!"

_I'm working on it,_ he said to himself as he scrambled to his feet and away from the oil. He turned around and put his hands up as he saw the two Draugrs running towards him. As they stepped right over the oily patch, they both slipped, flying straight up into the air and back down onto the oil on their backs, just like Onmund had earlier. A small smile threatened to break out on his face at the humorous sight but just then, the oil burst into flames, sending him recoiling backwards from the intense heat. He watched in amazement as the Draugrs cried out in pain as their bodies were consumed by the flames. _Danielle must have set that fire!_ he thought in amazement.

"Guys, this way!" he heard Danielle's voice shout, and he looked over to his left to see her standing at a doorway.

He ran over to her and Brelyna and J'zargo rejoined her, as well, and J'zargo cried out, "Arch-Mage almost set this one's tail on fire!"

"I'm sorry," Danielle apologized.

"That was a neat trick!" Brelyna remarked. "Setting the oil on fire! How did you know to do that?"

"Um, it was something else that my mentor had taught me," she answered.

"Who is this mentor?" Brelyna questioned. "They really taught you well."

"Oh, he was a Restoration and Destruction mage like I was," she replied. "He had been around Skyrim quite a bit."

As Danielle continued answering Brelyna's questions about her "mentor" (whom Onmund recognized as Marcurio without a doubt even though he was never mentioned by name), he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy rise up within him. _Danielle must've spent quite a bit of time with this Marcurio fellow to have picked up on so many diverse skills,_ he thought ruefully. _He got to have more time with her one-on-one than even I had, probably. How…unfair. _But then again, he had to remind himself that she had refused Marcurio's advances, however frequent or infrequent they were.

There was a spiral staircase of wooden steps leading upward, so the four mages ascended the staircase to the top, where there was a rickety wooden bridge leading to a platform just above the large chamber they were in. As they crossed the bridge to the other side, they noticed blood stains on the platform.

"Oh, no!" Danielle gasped as they all ran towards it.

The body of a Dunmer mage lay dead on the platform, and he was covered in blood. Right next to him lay a bloodied dagger, a journal, and a large claw made out of ivory. Furthermore, they noticed a small pedestal with an engraving of some sort on it. It sort of resembled the shape of the claw.

"This must be the mage we were looking for," Onmund declared woefully, picking up the journal from the floor. He opened it up and started reading it.

"What does it say?" Brelyna asked after several seconds had passed.

Onmund finally closed the journal, feeling chills run up his spine. "It's true," he declared, looking at his friends grimly. "Gauldur's sons _did_ kill him. They…they wanted Gauldur's amulet for themselves. So they split it into three pieces and each has possession of it."

"How did they die?" Danielle asked.

"They were overcome by the High King's battlemages, led by an Archmage named Geirmund," he explained. "The three sons were each sealed within tombs, never to be unearthed again."

"Until Jyrik was," Brelyna pointed out.

He nodded. "And now we have broken the seal of the other two sons' souls. No doubt they're going to come out looking for Jyrik's piece of the amulet. What is happening now cannot be undone…"

"You mean…Gauldur's other sons are going to wake up?" Danielle questioned. "And what are they going to do?"

"They're going to do whatever it takes to find each other and put the pieces of the amulet back together," he answered. "Even if it means turning the whole of Skyrim upside down."

"Then we've got to stop them!" J'zargo proclaimed.

Onmund looked nervously down at the ground. "Yes. We've got to…"

"Then we'd better get to _them_ before they get out!" Danielle urged.

Onmund looked back at her and saw the determined fire burning in her eyes. It was like Labyrinthian all over again. He said to them, "Right. Let's see if we can get across to the other side here." He picked the ivory claw up from the floor. Just beyond the pedestal, there appeared to be a bridge that was raised up. It was attached to some ropes running from the platform to the ceiling. There had to be a way to trigger the bridge to come down and he figured that the ivory claw and the pedestal with the strange engraving on it was the key.

The others watched curiously as Onmund placed the claw onto the pedestal, inserting the three "toes" of it into the holes on the engraving. It clicked into place and he turned it to the right.

Suddenly, they heard a rumbling as the ropes began to move. Onmund jumped back in surprise as the bridge came crashing down towards him, barely missing him.

"Onmund, are you all right!?" Danielle asked as the other mages joined him at the edge of the platform.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, breathing a sigh of relief. _That was close,_ he thought. But the bridge was now set before them and provided a path to the other side of the room. They each walked across it one at a time.

As they journeyed further through the ruin, Onmund started becoming nostalgic of all of the adventuring that he and Danielle had done together. They had fought Draugrs, Dwemer automatons, Falmer, dragons, giants, and countless other foe together, and had established a comfortable rhythm of attacking their foe, alternating between stunning them with Onmund's Lightning Bolts and burning them with Danielle's Firebolts. She was here with him now, but with Brelyna and J'zargo also around, it didn't feel the same. It also didn't help that he wasn't used to his other friends' spellcasting styles, so things quickly became chaotic at best in the heat of a battle. J'zargo was very aggressive with his shock spells, and at one point, Onmund was nearly hit by one of his Chain Lightning bolts but he warded just in time, chewing the Khajiit out afterwards. On the other hand, Brelyna was kind of timid when it came to attacking. Wielding a Staff of Sparks, she seemed to want to get very close to the enemy before unleashing it on them, and Onmund had a very hard time trying to strike the enemy with his lightning attacks without hitting her. _But…these are my fellow Apprentices, and I have to get used to training with them,_ he knew. _The days where Danielle and I can go out adventuring alone are long gone._ There was no time to feel sad about it, though, as he constantly had to be on his toes in these ruins.

They finally came upon a door unlike any that Onmund had seen before. It had an engraving similar to the one on the pedestal that he had used the ivory claw on. Above it were three discs, each with an engraving of a different animal on it. Onmund proceeded to stick the ivory claw onto the bottom engraving to see if he could unlock the door with it. As he turned it, some green gas came spewing out of the door that burned his eyes.

"Aghhh!" the other mages cried out as the poisonous gas began to fill the room.  
Coughing and hacking, Onmund ran away from the gas cloud and his friends followed, also coughing and hacking. His eyes were burning so bad that he squeezed them shut and he felt like he wanted to claw them out with his hands.

"J'zargo can't see!" J'zargo cried. "He can't see!"

Suddenly, he felt someone touch him and someone's hands were upon his eyes. He heard a whisper of an incantation and a strange feeling overtook him. He realized that it was Danielle's hands that were upon him and she was healing him. She took her hands away and Onmund opened his eyes. He could see again and his eyes no longer burned! He looked down at the Arch-Mage.

"Better?" she asked him.

"Better," he replied, smiling. "Thank you."

"Oh, thank you, Danielle!" Brelyna piped up as she and J'zargo were also healed.

"Anytime," Danielle responded.

"I'm extremely sorry," Onmund apologized. "I must've done something wrong to trigger that trap."

The four of them went back up to the door. "Strange," Danielle observed, examining the engravings closely. "It appears that you should use that claw in here, but that alone didn't open the door…It must have something to do with these animal engravings. There are three of them…" She then reached out towards one of the discs and spun it. The image on the engraving shifted to that of another animal. "Amazing!"

"That must be the key," Brelyna guessed. "We just have to move the discs to show the right combination of images before we can open this door."

"But what is the 'right' combination?" J'zargo questioned.

"Hmmm," Onmund pondered. He picked the claw up off the floor which he had dropped earlier when the poisonous gas overtook him. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Oh! I know!" Right on the claw itself were three images of animals going down in a line- two hawks and one dragon. "It's right here on the claw!" He showed it to his two friends and their faces lit up also. He stood right in front of the door and began moving the discs. The top one he shifted over to the hawk image as well as the second one, and then he shifted the bottom one to the dragon image. He then sighed and said, "Here goes nothing."

"This better work!" J'zargo quipped. "Gas in J'zargo's eyes was no good!"

Ignoring him, Onmund placed the claw into the engraving again and turned it. He took a step back, bracing himself for another booby trap, but instead the door began to open! It slowly descended into the ground and the way head was now open.

"You did it!" Brelyna cheered.

"Way to go, Onmund!" Danielle exclaimed.

Onmund smiled and they all moved on. They came upon another door- this one unlocked, and went through. They found themselves in a gigantic crypt. The room reminded him of the giant room in Saarthal where they had fought Jyrik Gauldurson, so he stopped and whispered to his friends, "I think this is it."

"This is what?" Brelyna asked.

"The room where one of Gauldur's sons is buried," he answered.

Just then, as if in response to Onmund's statement, they heard the sound of stones breaking.

Danielle gasped and pointed. "Look!" She was pointing to the stone coffin in the center of the room which was now beginning to break open.

The mages all jumped back as the lid broke off and a Draugr climbed out of it. It stood up on its feet and the two girls screamed. "Wo alok dilon?" it spoke in a slow, gravelly voice.

"Uhhh, what did he say?" Brelyna asked fearfully.

"'Who raises the dead?'" Onmund translated. He then cleared his throat and spoke in a loud voice, "Mu!" He pointed to himself and then the other mages. "Mu mindok vahzen!" He then pointed to the Draugr and said angrily, "Hin krii bormah!"

"Dii bormah?" the Draugr questioned.

"Geh! Gauldur!" he finished.

"Gauldur…" the Draugr repeated, as if trying to remember. The sides of his rotted cheeks then turned up slightly and he nodded. "Aam, dii bormah. Rok nil. Rok lostaan suleyk sirglov."

"Danielle," he whispered to the Arch-Mage. "Let me see that amulet fragment."

With fear in her eyes, Danielle handed Onmund the fragment of the Gauldur Amulet. He held it up in front of him so that the Draugr could see it and he shouted, "Daar sirglov?"

The Draugr's eyes widened. "Sirglov!" he cried and then warned, narrowing his eyes, "Zu'u ofan!"

With a smirk, Onmund quickly put the amulet around his neck and taunted, "Vey dii klov. Ruz gahrot sirglov."

The Draugr appeared confused at first by his poor grammar, but then understood what he meant. He snarled and yelled, "Fen dir!" He then raised up his sword and ran towards Onmund.

Danielle and Brelyna screamed again as the Draugr swung at Onmund and missed, as Onmund nimbly backed away from him and shot him with a Lightning Bolt. The other three mages started attacking him, as well.

Soon though, four other Draugrs broke out of the coffins along the walls and joined the fray. The mages were divided among them, with Onmund striking Gauldur's son with his shock spells and warding when he tried to hit him with his sword.

Soon, the mages defeated the Draugrs and they all focused their attacks on the son of Gauldur. He eventually went down and the four of them cheered.

"Victory!" Onmund shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

"We did it!" Danielle cheered. She then went over to the coffin that the first Draugr had broken out of and the other mages followed her. There were two objects in it- a scroll and an amulet fragment. She picked them both up and showed it to the other Apprentices.

Onmund took the scroll, unrolled it and read it out loud, "Be bound here, Mikrul, murderer, betrayer. Condemned by your crimes against realm and lord. May your name and your deeds be forgotten forever. And the charm which you bear be sealed by our ward."

"Well, so much for that," Brelyna remarked. "But at least we took care of him, right?"

"There's only one amulet fragment left, right?" J'zargo asked.

"Yes, one left," Onmund responded. "It is with Gauldur's third son. He then reached into his pocket and pulled the Dunmer mage's journal out. "According to this, Sigdis, who is the third son, is buried in the same tomb that was built for Arch-Mage Geirmund."

"Where is this tomb?" Danielle asked.

Looking back at the journal, Onmund replied, "It is on the 'lake which still bears his name.'" He then scratched his chin in thought and continued, "There is no lake in Skyrim called 'Geirmund' but…there _is_ Lake Geir, which is near Ivarstead. I think that's it."

"Ivarstead!" Brelyna exclaimed. "That'll take a while to get to."

"J'zargo is ready for the long journey!" J'zargo chimed in.

"All right," Onmund said. "But it's up to the Arch-Mage to decide." He then looked at Danielle.

"We should go right away," Danielle said.

"Will we stop in Morthal again?" Brelyna questioned.

"We'll get there by late afternoon," Onmund said. "We should probably cover as much ground as possible. We'll probably have to camp somewhere in the mountains south of it. We can take Cold Rock Pass to the south and make camp in the foothills."

"I'm all right with that," Danielle said.

"J'zargo worries about the cold," J'zargo quipped.

"I don't see how you get cold," Onmund teased. "You've got fur!"

"This one is not used to this climate, though!" he complained.

Onmund chuckled. "Oh, you'll survive. We'll make a fire and everything."

With that, the mages left Folgunthur and headed south. After navigating through the marshlands, which was easier by daylight, they went through Morthal without stopping anywhere in town and further south into the mountains.

* * *

_Here is the translation for the interchange between Mikrul and Onmund:_

_"Mu! Mu mindok vahzen! Hin krii bormah!" (We! We know the truth! You killed (your) father!)_  
_"Dii bormah?" (My father?)_  
_"Geh! Gauldur!" (Yes! Gauldur!)_  
_"Gauldur…Aam, dii bormah. Rok nil. Rok lostaan suleyk sirglov." (Gauldur…ah, my father. He was worthless. But he had a powerful amulet.)_  
_"Daar sirglov?" (This amulet?)_  
_"Sirglov! Zu'u ofan!" (The amulet! Give it to me!)_  
_"Vey dii klov. Ruz gahrot sirglov." (Cut my head. Then steal amulet.)_  
_"Fen dir!" ((You) will die!)_

_NOTE: For those paying very close attention, I could not find the word for "amulet" so I literally just made it up._

_I don't know how I could do half the things I enjoy doing in the game if it weren't for console commands and mods. Followers get left behind, stuck, and die all the time, it seems. I suppose I would just have to be more careful with my save files or something! J'zargo and Brelyna are not against the idea of seeing Onmund and Danielle get together, but they are definitely afraid of the favoritism aspect. Onmund is just going to have to man-up and take matters into his own hands at some point...but he'll have to endure some more abuse to get there (hehe, I feel sort of bad for abusing Onmund). Saarthal was a pretty tame ruin, wasn't it? I'm also wondering if the excavators had already cleaned out most of its dangers, too._


	19. On the Road

The sun was already starting to set before they even could even reach Cold Rock Pass. But they found a good spot to settle down in for the night. It was a large, flat area just off the beaten path and was sheltered on two sides by a high, rock wall. "Is this a good spot, Arch-Mage?" Onmund asked.

Danielle smiled. He didn't know how she felt about being called that by him but he figured it would be at least humorous. "Yes," she spoke. "This is a good spot."

Everyone began setting up their bed rolls on the ground. Before he got _too_ settled, though, Onmund went to the other side of the path to drag a few dead branches over to their campsite. He asked Danielle, "So what do you think, will these work?"

"Those'll do," she replied.

After Onmund arranged them in a pile on the ground, he stepped aside and let Danielle do her part. She aimed her hand towards the pile of branches and let forth a burst of Flames onto it. The branches lit up and they had their campfire going within seconds.

"Hah! And everyone says mages are useless!" Onmund retorted.

"Well, now we have something to cook with," Danielle said. "I'm sure we're all hungry."

"Arch-Mage can say that again," J'zargo piped up. "But he is already tired of all the bread and cheese he brought. He wishes he could have something sweet…"

"And if only we could have meat…" Onmund said longingly.

"You two are impossible," Brelyna teased. She looked at Danielle and they both smirked. "Men…"

"You know, J'zargo bets that we can find some meat," J'zargo said to Onmund.

"Oh, yeah? How?" Onmund asked his buddy.

"We have the most powerful killing weapons right in our hands," he said. His hands started to light up.

Onmund's eyes went wide and he replied, "Ohhh! You're right!"

"You wouldn't!" Brelyna started.

"Elf would not understand," J'zargo stated. "Khajiit and man were made to hunt!" He then looked at Onmund and said, "Let's go find some food."

Onmund nodded. "We'll be right back, ladies."

"You'd better be careful out there," Danielle warned.

"We will," Onmund assured. He and J'zargo then left the two women and started back down the path that they had climbed. Ever since they had started the campfire and began discussing food, his mouth was watering for some meat- _any_ meat. They had eaten nothing but bread and cheese for the past two days and the craving for richer sustenance was beginning to gnaw at him.

As they descended the mountain trail, J'zargo suddenly stopped. "There!" he whispered, pointing. "An elk!"

Onmund looked in the direction J'zargo was pointing. Down below them on the switchback, was a lone female elk wandering among the trees. Thoughts of sweet, bloody venison immediately came to his mind and he perked up. He asked J'zargo, "That's quite a large elk. How are we going to carry it back once we kill it?"

J'zargo's face fell and he said, "Oh. Khajiit has not considered this important detail." He looked back at Onmund and he shrugged, as well. "J'zargo supposes we can take what we need back to the camp."

As they stood there wondering what to do, Onmund watched the elk grazing among the trees. Suddenly, he noticed that there was a smaller form right next to it. It was a baby! He watched in horror as J'zargo started to raise his hand up, getting ready to unleash an attack spell. He quickly reached up and pushed the Khajiit's arms down. The sudden movement also managed to scare the elk and her baby and they both took off into the trees.

"What's the matter with you!?" J'zargo yelled, wrenching out of Onmund's grasp. "You scared it away!"

"Didn't you see the baby?!" Onmund cried.

With a surprised expression, he replied, "No. J'zargo did not see the baby." His expression then changed. "But why should that matter? It was food!"

Onmund sighed exasperatedly and put his hand on his forehead. "Okay. Never mind. Let's find something else."

They continued on down the switchback until they heard a rustle in the bushes. They both stopped short again and exchanged glances with each other. Onmund saw J'zargo nod at him and he went up to the bushes. He started agitating them in whatever way he could by stomping on the ground near them and slapping at the branches, hoping to scare whatever was hiding in it out into the open. Suddenly, as he slapped away at one of the bushes, he saw something small race out of it and it was immediately struck by J'zargo's Lightning Bolt. "Gotcha!" J'zargo shouted and Onmund ran over to him to inspect their kill. It was a rabbit, and its body was about as long as the length of his forearm. They had managed to kill some meat! As he looked down at the carcass he suddenly had a dissenting thought, _Such a quick and easy kill. I'm sure my father would disapprove of such a quick and dirty hunting technique._

"Are we going to take it back or not?" J'zargo piped up impatiently.

Onmund sighed and bent down to pick up the animal. He held it out in front of him by its legs and said, "Did it ever occur to you that mages are either the best hunters in the world or the worst hunters in the world?"

"J'zargo does not think about such things," J'zargo replied dismissively. "Mages are mages. We're experts in magic. What we choose to do with it is nobody's concern."

"I guess you're right," he sighed. Together, he and J'zargo took the dead rabbit back up to their campsite.

"You guys actually _killed_ something?" Brelyna cried in disbelief as the two men neared them. She and Danielle were sitting on the ground keeping themselves warm by the fire. By now, it was completely dark out.

"We brought back meat!" J'zargo declared proudly.

Onmund put the rabbit down on the rock near the fire and said, "Uh, anyone have a knife or something?"

"I have a dagger," Danielle said and got up to retrieve it from her satchel. She then handed it to Onmund.

Just then, Brelyna stood up and said, "Um, I'm just going to be over here." She then stepped back towards the trees, turning her back on them.

"Get squeamish at the sight of blood?" Onmund asked good-naturedly.

"Just make it quick," she replied. "Tell me when you're done."

Onmund chuckled and turned back to the rabbit. He had seen his father skin a rabbit and other animals so many times that it didn't bother him at all. It was definitely a messy process, but after several minutes of carefully dressing the rabbit, it was all ready for cooking. J'zargo and Danielle didn't seem to be bothered by the whole process so as he walked past Brelyna, he said to her, "Okay, I'm finished!"

As she turned around to look back at him, she screamed at the sight of his bloody hands and ran back to the others. Onmund couldn't help but laugh as he continued walking to a spot on the other side of the path that had deep snow. He then proceeded to "wash" his hands in the snow.

Back at the campfire, they all gathered around it and cooked the rabbit on a crude spit that they had thrown together with sticks. As Onmund watched the meat turn a golden brown and drip with juices, his mouth began to water. When it was all cooked, he anxiously pulled it off of the spit and tore off portions for Danielle, J'zargo, and himself, burning his fingers in the process. And it had hardly cooled off even when he began biting into a leg, he was so ravenous. The taste was beyond good. Being a vegetarian, Brelyna shook her head at her friends' frenzied munching and ate her bread and cheese quietly.

When they were all finished with their food, they sat quietly, feeling full and content. Onmund got up to go find some more branches to feed the fire and when he returned, he saw that J'zargo was beginning to doze off. "Hey," he said, snapping his fingers in front of the Khajiit's face. "You gonna fall asleep right here or what?"

Momentarily roused, J'zargo replied, "Good food puts Khajiit to sleep."

"I have to agree," Danielle said, yawning. "Maybe it's time to turn in."

"All right," Onmund replied. "I'll try to keep the fire going through the night so we don't get cold."

With that, everyone climbed into their bed rolls which were set up in a close circle around the fire. Onmund climbed into his.

"Good night, everyone," he heard Brelyna say, which was followed by echoes of "good night" from everyone else.

"Good night," Onmund said and put his hands behind his head. He then proceeded to stare up at the stars overhead, feeling tired but not sleepy yet. Before long, he could hear J'zargo's snoring and the even, deep breathing of the other two women who had fallen asleep.

With his mind restless again, he thought about how far he had come as a mage. He had made it to the Apprentice level and had definitely won Tolfdir's favor. With the great progress he was making, he had no doubt that he would reach the Adept level sooner than later. And then he would graduate to Expert level and then…and then what? He figured that he could do one of three things at that point. He could either become a scholar like Arniel and Urag and do research projects for the College, or he could become a faculty member like Tolfdir and Phinis and perhaps teach for the School of Destruction. Then, there was the third alternative which was to leave the College with all of his knowledge and go out into the world and apply it by serving as a court wizard or practice in private like Frodrig and Falion of Morthal. If he went with either of the two former paths, then he could go on to learn other schools of magic and eventually become Master Wizard, the most prestigious position at the College. He didn't think that he would ever become Arch-Mage because Danielle had that position already, and he surmised that she would hold that position for a very long time. It did surprise him a little that they had chosen a mere student to fill the position of Arch-Mage, but he knew that Danielle was no ordinary student. _She deserves it and I support her,_ he knew. _Even if it means that I won't get to spend as much time with her…_ He turned over in his bed roll and looked at her across the fire. The fire had died down enough that he could see her across it. Her back was turned towards him, and he found himself gazing at her longingly across the embers. _The embers…_he suddenly snapped back to reality and remembered what his duties were supposed to be. He was supposed to keep the fire going throughout the night! And here he was, becoming lost in his thoughts and daydreaming away while the fire threatened to burn out. He quickly climbed out of his bed roll and stood up. The other three mages lay completely still, with J'zargo still snoring away. Onmund gently stepped over and around everyone over to the pile of branches he had made earlier to retrieve some. He then carried a bundle of them back to the fire and gently laid them down so as to make as little noise as possible. He crouched down and blew on the embers to get the fire going again and soon, the branches erupted with flames. As he continued to fan the fire with his hands to get it burning nice and hot, he suddenly heard Danielle stir beside him. "Onmund…" he heard her utter, which made him jump. He looked over at her and was struck with surprise to see that she still looked fast asleep. She had her face turned towards him now, but her eyes were closed and her lips were parted a little, turned up in a slight smile. He kept his eyes on her, expecting her to say something more to him, but as he watched her lying completely still and her small frame rising and falling to her even breathing, he realized that she was dreaming when she had uttered his name out loud. _At least I _think_ it was my name and I'm not confusing it with something else…she _did_ just say my name out loud, didn't she? Was she dreaming about me?_ he wondered, blushing furiously. As he gazed at her with wild curiosity, he noticed that a black tendril of hair had fallen over her face. It took all of his willpower not to reach out with his fingers and gently push it out of the way. He then realized that he should stop staring at her, lest he embarrass himself should she actually wake up or if J'zargo and Brelyna saw him.

With the campfire now burning again, he stood up and quietly made his way back to his own bed and climbed in. He still wondered about the event that just occurred with Danielle speaking his name out loud in her sleep but he didn't dwell on it for long as sleep quickly overtook him. Onmund got up two more times throughout the night to feed the fire, but these were uneventful moments and he was practically half-asleep so he didn't remember them much.

When the skies over the mountains began to brighten with the morning light, everyone began waking up. Brelyna was the first up, and she sat in front of the campfire to keep warm. Onmund was up after her and joined her by the fireside after throwing a couple more branches into it. Finally, Danielle and J'zargo woke up and everyone sat around the fire together.

"Is everyone ready to head to Ivarstead?" Danielle asked the group.

Everyone replied in the affirmative and they all got up and packed up their things, including their bed rolls. As one last gesture, Onmund cast Frostbite onto the campfire, immediately putting it out, and then he threw dirt on it. Finally, the mages went on their way, making the short climb up to Cold Rock Pass and traversing the icy passage.

Once they were out of the mountains, they headed south through the great plains of Whiterun until they met the road that led east. As they passed the great city to the north of them, Onmund could see the castle of Dragonsreach towering over the stone walls. He hadn't been inside those walls for a long while now. His last memory of Whiterun was sort of a bitter one. He remembered going there with Roxanne and meeting her "new" friends within the Companions, and her last words to him were, "I never want to see you again."

He felt a mild sting in his heart at the memories but the pain was nowhere near what they had once been. He glanced at Danielle, who was walking ahead of him on the cobblestone path and thought, _She is a hundred times sweeter and more beautiful than Roxanne._ But the bitter thing was that now she was out of his reach. _Why didn't I tell her how I felt about her before?_ he thought with a pang of regret. _I had so many chances, and I just let them go by. I will never find anyone like her again. _He never gave the prospect of finding love a serious thought before. When he was growing into a man, his parents wanted him to court a Nord lady. At the time, courting was the farthest thing from his mind as he was busy honing his skills as a mage and expressing his desires to join the College of Winterhold. This, of course, made his parents very upset and they threatened to disown him. They never made good on their threat, though, as Onmund finally left them on his own accord and joined Frodrig as they took the carriage north with all of his possessions and dreams in tow.

The carriage had made a stop in Whiterun, and it was there where Onmund nearly gave up his dreams of being a mage. Frodrig had come down with Witbane and they had to spend much more time in the city than they had originally planned. While he was resting and recovering at the Temple of Kynareth, Onmund found all sorts of distractions within the city walls. Without his parents around to criticize his every action, he went wild- not wild by most young, Nordic men's standards but wild enough to make him cringe when he looked back upon those days. He met a young Nord woman by the name of Roxanne and he became immediately smitten, mostly by her looks. She had long, brown hair and large, feline-like green eyes and was as tall as him. She had challenged him in an arm-wrestling contest at the Bannered Mare and won, making him the laughingstock of everyone who had watched the match. But as naïve as he was, this only made him want to see her more. He pursued her relentlessly, trying to prove his strength to her by offering to carry stuff for her and hunting for her. At first, she was floored by his gestures, but then she became annoyed, especially when he told her about his dreams to join the College and become a mage. Seeing that this greatly displeased her, he began learning to use a sword. He thought that if he acted more "Nord-like," then she would like him. It was also at this time that Frodrig succumbed to his illness. Absolutely devastated and distressed at losing his longtime mentor, Onmund sought comfort from the only friend he had in town, which was Roxanne. She did comfort him and during this time was extra nice to him, and this only served to reawaken his hope that she was finally warming up to him. But as with all of her moods, that didn't last long. Overall, she alternated between being overly friendly and warm to him and being outright cold and distant- mostly the latter. It drove him crazy, but not to the point where he completely wrote her off. But, the last straw came when she told him that she had joined the Companions, and basically told him to get lost because she "couldn't stand to be seen with a Nord man who dabbled in magic."

Now brokenhearted and alone, Onmund went back to the only thing that had brought him comfort throughout his young life- studying and practicing magic. He also worked at the inn for a short time doing odd jobs so that he could get enough money to get a carriage, and when he was ready, he shook the dust of the city off of him and rode the carriage off to Winterhold.

Not once did he think of finding love again. Not once did he wonder if another girl was going to grab his attention or not. As far as he was concerned, all women could be damned to Oblivion. They had only served to divert his attention away from what was important up to this point, anyway. He figured that once he had reached a point in his mage career where he was satisfied with what he accomplished, _then_ perhaps he would go in search of a female companion to share his life with. Or not. It wasn't a high priority for him.

But in truth, he had never expected to meet someone like Danielle. Someone he had so much in common with and someone he thoroughly enjoyed being with and talking with. And he knew that it wasn't just wishful thinking that she was so warm and receptive to him, too. She had to enjoy his company, as well, or she wouldn't have asked for his companionship for all of those trips they went on together during the Eye of Magnus fiasco. But he had to remember that those days were now gone. In the midst of the disappointment and sadness that fact brought him, he also wondered something. _Does she feel the same longing and disappointment that I do? Does she feel like she has to put her position and reputation on the line when deciding how to deal with me? _Realizing that he would probably never know the answer, he felt a new sense of despair.

The four College mages finally reached Ivarstead by nightfall and they stayed overnight in Vilemyr Inn. It turned out that the innkeeper, Wilhelm, knew Danielle from before and so they had a brief but spirited reunion. They were also able to get the exact location of Geirmund's Hall from him, who told them that it was in a cave on a small island in the middle of Lake Geir.

Early the next day, they headed out of the village and east towards Lake Geir. They could see the island in the middle of it. According to Wilhelm, there was a very shallow part of water on the far north side of it that they could simply wade across. So they walked along the northern shore of it until they found the part where the island was closest to them, and they waded across, taking care to lift the outer parts of their robes up so they wouldn't get wet. From there, it just took them several paces around the circumference of the island where they found the cave entrance, and they all went inside.

* * *

_Long before I had even conceived of this story, I was playing around with the Ultimate Follower Overhaul (UFO) mod which, among other things, lets you have multiple followers at once. I was playing as Roxanne, my very first character, and took all of the Companions with me on some quests. I also added some other random followers to the mix, as well, including Onmund. I'll never forget the day that I dismissed everyone one-by-one when I was done questing. When I got to Onmund, there was something unusually forlorn-sounding about his "If that's what you want. Come find me at the College if you change your mind." And I thought, Awww, Onmund was rather fond of hanging around Roxanne. But she's married to Farkas. Hmmm...I know! I'll create a mage babe for Onnie in my next game! And the rest is history._

_I honestly don't know if Onmund would be horribly fluent in ancient Nord either, but he seems to like reading a lot of books so it's very possible that he could find joy in learning ancient languages. What is with him and certain followers ticking off other followers? Why can't they all just get along? The Gauldur Amulet was rather disappointing, and not to mention glitched, too! I had Onmund wearing it at one point and then I couldn't take it away from him without good ol' console commands again because it didn't show up in his inventory!_


	20. The Last Piece

They found themselves in a deep cavern and since it was dark, Danielle cast Candlelight for all of them.

"Huh, so we don't even need torches anymore!" Onmund remarked at her new spell.

"The light doesn't last as long as a torch," Danielle replied. "But I am slowly trying to learn this simple but useful Alteration spell."

"You must feel like you have the world on your shoulders now as Arch-Mage," Brelyna said.

"It's…overwhelming to think about," she admitted.

"Well, I think you're doing a fine job!" Onmund complimented.

"Thanks."

They soon realized that the only way out of the cavern came down to two paths- back the way they came or down…there was a large hole in the middle of the cavern and as the mages stood on the edge of it and gazed down, they could see water down below.

"Um, is this the only way into the ruin?" Brelyna questioned.

Danielle looked at her fellow students and hesitatingly replied, "I'm afraid it is."

"Ugh, J'zargo is not beginning to like this," J'zargo quipped.

"Well, you could just stay here and guard the entrance then," Onmund suggested.

"And miss out on all the fun you guys are going to have down there?!" J'zargo cried, insulted. "Nonsense! If J'zargo must get wet, then he will do it in the name of adventure."

"It's your choice," Onmund shrugged. "All right, who's gonna go first?"

No one jumped at the chance to volunteer. Finally, Danielle stepped forward and said, "I will. As Arch-Mage, I will sacrifice myself in the name of safety."

"Don't say that, Danielle!" Brelyna cried. "You are going to make it."

"Here, wait…" Onmund suddenly said and ran off to go find a rock. He found one just a little smaller than his hand and brought it back. "Let's see if this thing is deep enough." He dropped the rock into the hole and it fell for several feet before making a "sploosh" sound when it hit the water.

"That doesn't tell us much!" J'zargo protested.

"Then fine, _I'll_ go first!" Onmund cried exasperatedly, stepping towards the edge.

"No!" Danielle shouted, throwing her hand out in front of him. She gently pushed him back. "I will go. I shall be fine."

Onmund looked at Brelyna and they both shrugged. "Arch-Mage's orders," she sighed and he smiled slightly. _Ah, ever the feisty adventurer, that Danielle…_He knew not to mess with her when she was in that mode.

Danielle stepped right up to the edge and said to her friends, "I'll let you know when the coast is clear, and then the rest of you jump." She then glanced down into the hole once and back up. At last, she gave a small hop up off the ledge and dropped down into the hole, landing in the water with a splash.

Onmund nervously gazed down into the chasm, praying that she was all right. He was then filled with relief when he saw her surface and then swim away out of sight. After a few seconds, he heard her shout from below, "Okay! You can come down now!"

"J'zargo shall get this over with," J'zargo sighed and went up to the edge. He then pinched his nose with his paw and jumped into the hole. Another splash was heard and J'zargo surfaced, coughing and spitting as he joined Danielle wherever she was.

Onmund could hear them talking animatedly about something and he chuckled to himself, guessing that J'zargo was doing his usual griping about how much he hated water and such. He looked over at Brelyna who looked at him uncertainly. "Um, you go ahead. I don't mind going last."

"All right," he replied and stepped up to the edge. He looked down at the water below and nearly lost his confidence. _That is a long way down into a pool of water of unknown depth!_ he thought. _But if Danielle and J'zargo made it…_He decided to stop thinking about it and go for it. He took a deep breath and held it as he hopped up into air and then fell several feet. He hit the water sooner than he thought he would but fortunately still had his breath held in. He immediately started kicking his legs and swam up to the surface. As soon as his head broke through the surface, he gasped for air and saw J'zargo and Danielle waiting for him on a ledge. He swam over to it and the two mages helped him up onto it. They were all drenched and had taken off their hoods. Onmund did the same.

"Okay, Brelyna!" Danielle shouted up to the top of the hole. "We're waiting for you!"

Onmund couldn't see Brelyna from his viewpoint so he just waited for the Dunmer mage to make her leap. He removed his satchel and checked the inside of it and was glad to see that the contents were not soaked, only damp.

"Brelyna, are you there?" Danielle asked after several seconds. She still had not jumped.

"I'm here," they heard her shout back down.

"Are you all right?" Danielle continued. "Can you make it?"

"Yes," Brelyna shouted back. "Just…just give me a few seconds."

J'zargo sighed. "Any day now."

At this, Danielle scolded, "Don't you take that impatient tone. You were the one who made all that noise about getting wet earlier."

J'zargo grumbled and Onmund laughed.

Finally, they saw Brelyna fall into the water and she surfaced and swam over to them on the ledge. "Wow, that was thrilling!" she proclaimed.

"All right, let's move on," Danielle said and they all went through an iron door which led into the catacombs.

They passed walls of bodies long dead and made their way up a set of steps onto the upper floor, where they saw a lone body lying on a pedestal. There was an epitaph in front of it which read:

_Lord Geirmund_

_Archmage of Windhelm_

_Lord Battlemage to King Harald_

_Magus, keep thy vigil eternal._

_Serve now in death as you did in life._

_By these seals our realm preserve._

_From traitors three and their charm of strife._

"So this is Arch-Mage Geirmund, himself," Brelyna gestured toward the body.

Onmund sighed. "Hate to break it to you Geirmund, but the seals on those 'traitors three' have been broken. But we vow to put them back to rest!"

"Can he hear you?" J'zargo asked.

"I hope so," he replied. "He must not be resting easy with still one 'murderer and betrayer' on the loose."

"Then let's find Sigdis and put him back where he belongs!" Danielle declared.

"Right," he answered, and the four mages continued on.

Throughout the ruin, they encountered a few Draugrs here and there that they had to fight, and they had a near-miss with a booby trap when Onmund pulled a lever that he thought would lower a bridge for them to get across. But when he had pulled the lever, it triggered a line of spears to shoot out of the wall and he was nearly skewered to death by them. It turned out that the _real_ lever to draw the bridge was located on the wall near it, out of their field of sight initially. They also had to maneuver their way across a line of swinging pendulums. They all took it slow and easy as they traversed them one at a time. It was the most nervewracking feat he had ever undertaken in his life. And he knew that they were going to have to do it again on the way back, a thought which made his stomach churn.

They finally reached a large chamber filled with about a foot of water and two circular platforms on each side of it. There was also a ledge up front where a coffin sat. Onmund surmised that it was Sigdis' coffin. As everyone descended down into the water and ascended up the steps to the ledge, the coffin broke open and Sigdis emerged. "Wo alok dilon?" the Draugr spoke.

Everyone looked at Onmund, expecting him to address the undead Nordic warrior, but he was too tired to laboriously try to form the ancient words again. He shook his head and said, "Just kill him and get it over with!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Sigdis laughed and then he disappeared into a purplish mist.

"W-where did he go?" J'zargo questioned, dumbfounded.

"Over here!" Danielle yelled, turning around.

The others all turned around and gasped when they saw three forms appear on the platforms in the back of the room.

"Which one is Sigdis?" Brelyna questioned, frantically looking at each one.

"Doesn't matter," Onmund replied. "Hit the one nearest you!" He then proceeded to hit the form in the far back with his lightning as everyone else pummeled the other two forms with their spells.

Just then, he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder as an arrow hit him. "Gah!" he cried out as he fell to one knee. "Guys, watch out, they're shooting arrows!"

Brelyna was then hit with an arrow and she fell to her knees in pain. Danielle and J'zargo put up their wards in time to deflect the arrows flying at them and continued to hit them with spells from their free hands. Onmund and Brelyna hurried over to the other side of the coffin and sat down behind it to get away from the flying arrows. They then got out their healing potions and drank them. The arrows that were stuck in them fell off and they felt much better.

"We've got to help them!" Brelyna cried, and Onmund nodded. They both got up and cast their wards, advancing forward to attack Sigdis and his likenesses with their Destruction spells.

Finally, Sigdis was defeated and the mages jumped for joy. They found his Writ of Sealing inside of his coffin and J'zargo found the amulet fragment around the Draugr's neck. He took it off and presented it to the Arch-Mage. "Now we have all three pieces of the amulet," he declared.

"Yes, and the curse is over," Danielle said.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and she continued, "Let's get out of here. I saw a passageway beyond the coffin that we might be able to get out through."

With that, the Apprentices followed their Arch-Mage through the back passageway and they finally ended up in the cavern that they had started in. Onmund was relieved that they didn't have to go through the gauntlet of pendulums again. They went out of the cavern and back outside. It was about midday.

"Ah, fresh air, finally!" Onmund declared, breathing it in deeply.

"So, shall we go back to the College now?" Danielle asked.

"Actually, I was hoping to get some lunch at Vilemyr Inn first," he said. "Whaddya say, Arch-Mage?"

Danielle smiled and said, "Okay. I suppose we deserve a good meal after all that hard work!"

"J'zargo was hoping you'd say that," J'zargo said, and they all happily went on their way back to Ivarstead.

After having a hearty lunch at Vilemyr Inn, it was time to head back to Winterhold. It had been the longest any of them had been away from the College since first joining, and Onmund wondered if the others were worried about them.

It was well into the night when they reached the College, and by then it was too late to have a reunion with everyone else there as they were all asleep. They all went into the Hall of Attainment together including Danielle. It was dark and quiet inside.

Brelyna yawned and whispered, "Whew. If you don't mind, I'm just going to go straight to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Okay," Danielle replied. "Good night, Brelyna."

"Good night," Onmund echoed and the Dunmer Apprentice disappeared into her room.

"J'zargo is pooped, too," the Khajiit whispered. "See you in the morning, eh?"

"Okay, good night," Danielle and Onmund said to him.

Onmund and Danielle now stood alone in the foyer. With a heavy heart, he turned to her and asked in a hushed voice, "I guess you'll be heading back to your quarters now?"

She looked up at him with a serious look on her face and said, "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me up on the roof."

His curiosity was piqued, but he certainly wasn't going to refuse. "I would love to," he replied.

He followed her upstairs all the way to the top floor, sneaking past the rooms of the sleeping residents within. Once they stepped outside onto the roof and shut the door, they no longer had to be quiet. A heavy snow was falling, but there was no wind blowing. The silence was absolutely magnified up here. Together, Onmund and Danielle walked over to the covered balcony where they could see the town of Winterhold far below.

"That's quite a sight," Onmund commented, resting his arms on the stone ledge.

"It is," Danielle agreed, also gazing at it.

There was silence between them for several seconds before Onmund piped up again, "So…that was quite a first task for the Arch-Mage. I mean, I'm sure you've had other tasks before taking us all out on that field trip, but…how does it feel?"

"It's all right," she answered.

"Are you enjoying being Arch-Mage?" he asked.

"So far, yes," she said, but there was a hint of feigned enthusiasm. She then took her weight off of the ledge and ran her fingers along the length of her shawl, saying to him, "Did you know that these robes were originally made for Mirabelle?"

He turned towards her and shook his head. "Really?"

"Yeah. She was set to take over the position after Savos. But of course, no one had expected that Savos would leave us so soon. _Or_ Mirabelle."

"Oh…" He looked at her thoughtfully. "They seem to fit you perfectly."

"I guess she and I were about the same size."

"Do you miss her?"

She nodded. "And Savos, too."

He shook his head sadly. "I wish I had gotten to know them like you had. They seemed like extraordinary people."

"They were," she agreed. She then looked back out into the distance, appearing far away in thought. With a sigh, she finally continued, "So much has changed in such a short amount of time."

Onmund nodded. "They have." He looked back down at the town below, remembering the Magic Anomaly invasion and how chaotic things had gotten when Ancano had taken control of the College. Now all was quiet and serene down there. "I wonder if the College's reputation will ever recover from our adventures."

"I hope so," Danielle said. "Tolfdir and I have our work cut out for us to do damage control." She then looked up at him and said in a hushed voice, "You know, sometimes I wonder why they chose me to be the Arch-Mage."

Surprised by her confession, he said to her, "Because Tolfdir and the other wizards trust you. They wouldn't have given you so much responsibility if they didn't trust you."

"Do you trust me?" she asked him.

He looked at her and replied with sincerity, "Wholeheartedly." As he gazed down into her eyes and she up into his, he could feel the deep connection between the two of them. He had felt it before when he had taken a hold of her hand in Labyrinthian and even as early on as their study sessions together in the Arcaneum. _Does she feel it, too?_ he wanted to ask. _I'm not just imagining things am I?_

"I'm going to miss going on adventures together," she spoke, bringing him back to reality.

_That's right,_ he remembered. _Those days are over._ "Me, too," he replied wistfully.

With a sad smile, she added, "I'm going to miss the way you sprint through doorways opened by levers."

Onmund couldn't help but chuckle, remembering his little snafu in Labyrinthian and how they had laughed for a full minute straight afterward until their bellies ached. Danielle chuckled a little, too, now, and then she said to him seriously, "Maybe someday…when you reach the Expert level, you can become a faculty member and we can spend more time together."

He looked at her in disbelief. _Her? Wanting to spend more time with me? _He felt his hopes rise a little, but then sank just as fast when he realized the loftiness of her suggestion. He gave a snort and replied, "Okay. It'll take me many years to get to that level…but I look forward to it." And it was the truth.

She smiled and then shook her head. "It was just a thought. I don't know if it is part of your dream to stay here and teach at the College. I'm sure you have nobler goals."

"What could be nobler than to pass knowledge on to the next generation?" he asked.

She nodded, admitting agreement. "I don't know," she shrugged.

It was true what she brought up, though. He wasn't sure if he was cut out to teach, but it wasn't as if he had seriously considered what his goals were, anyway. The only thing that he could think was, _As long as it took- that's how long I can wait to tell her how I feel. I've waited this long, haven't I?_

"I want you to have something," she spoke, and then he watched as she reached into her pocket and took something out. "This is something I had found in Mzulft when you and I were there." She then pressed it into Onmund's hand.

Curious, he opened his hand and revealed a shiny, bright green rock. He knew immediately what it was. "This is a piece of Malachite! Do you know how rare this is?"

She shook her head. "I just thought it was pretty. But I want you to have it. As a reminder of all the adventures we had together."

He felt touched. "Thank you. I will cherish this." He closed his hand over it and held it tightly. He then felt a sharp pang in his heart as he understood what this really meant. "I guess we won't be seeing each other as much from now on, huh?" he submitted.

With a sad look plainly on her face, she gazed down at the ground, appearing at a loss for words. He already knew what the answer was, even if she didn't want to say it. Instead, she simply answered, "We must not lose focus on what's important. And that's our studies."

"You're right," he replied with forced enthusiasm. "What's important." But deep down, it felt like he was reading from a script.

"But I will always be your friend, Onmund," she said to him.

These words had the ability to fill him with a little warmth and hope, and he replied back, "I will always be your friend, too, Danielle."

Then, in an unexpected gesture, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself close to him, pressing the side of her head against his chest. Her small body felt so warm and soft up against him. He followed by wrapping his arms around her and practically engulfed her with his large body. But still, as he held her close, he thought how perfectly she fit into him. He wished he could hold onto her and this very moment forever.

She then pulled away and said, "Well, I think I'm going to go back inside and go to bed. I'm sure you're exhausted, as well."

"I'm pretty tired, yes, but I think I'll stay up here for a bit," he answered.

"All right," she replied. "Don't stay up too late. Good night, Onmund."

"Good night, Danielle."

He watched her walk away from him and head back into the Hall of Attainment. Now all alone up on the rooftop, Onmund gazed back down at the dark town of Winterhold below. He still had the piece of Malachite Ore that Danielle had given him in his hand and he squeezed it, feeling the rough texture of it, all the while feeling tranquil yet also with a gnawing feeling forming inside of him that threatened to eat him up. On the one hand, he knew that he loved her deeply and felt like he could do anything for her, including waiting years and years to get to a point where it was acceptable to pursue her. But on the other hand, there was an opposing voice in his head that told him that it was a ludicrous and vain idea. _I came here to the College to pursue my dream and to pursue it at _my_ pace, not to pursue some girl that I take a fancy to. Danielle was absolutely right to tell me not to lose focus on what was important. To lose focus on my studies would be detrimental to my career. And even if I _could_ wait that long, it doesn't mean that Danielle can and should. If someone were to come along and pursue her and had the means and status to do it, then she would have every right to accept them without considering me. Not that she gave any indication that she would consider me, anyway. It's just one of my delusions, again._

Still not really sure about what he was going to do about his feelings for her, he decided to just go ahead and call it a night, anyway. He was very tired. They had been away from the College for three days, and now that they were back, it was time to get back into his studies and do what he came here to do. He went back inside and back downstairs to his room and straight to bed.

* * *

_Onmund and Danielle finally get a quiet moment alone, but sorry...they don't kiss yet! So what'll be in store for Onmund now that he has to put his friendship with Danielle on the back burner? Find out next time!_


	21. The Art of Restoration

The next morning consisted of practicing spells in the Hall of Elements with Tolfdir and the other Apprentices, including Danielle. Her presence hung heavy in the room with him but she gave no indication that she was thinking about their time together on the roof last night. She was all about business for the time being, and Onmund knew that that was all it was going to be about from now on. She had no reason to treat it as otherwise. So in like fashion, Onmund treated his studies like clockwork, and the morning class went by quickly.

After going back to his room to read up on what he had learned and having lunch with Brelyna and J'zargo, he decided to head back to the training room to practice some more like he used to do. He headed out the door and into the courtyard.

Just then, he noticed a female mage with short dark brown hair and wearing dark blue robes standing by the statue and he nearly gave a start because she starkly resembled Mirabelle. The mage turned around and saw him staring at her. It wasn't Mirabelle. "Hello, there!" she greeted slowly.

Onmund immediately stammered, "Uh, hello…I don't believe I've seen you around here, before."

"I don't believe I've seen _you_ before." She then stuck her hand out. "I'm Colette Marence, professor of Restoration. And you are…?"

_Professor of Restoration!_ he wondered. _That's interesting. How come I've never met her before?_ "I'm Onmund," he spoke. "Apprentice of Destruction."

"Oh! One of Tolfdir's students, then?" she replied, but without seeming impressed. "I'm sure you've heard him talk about me and my school then." There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice, which puzzled him.

"Uhh, no," he replied. "Actually, he hasn't mentioned anything about you."

"Well, he will sooner or later," she said. "I'm sure at some point you'll be bombarded with…certain anecdotes about how 'worthless' Restoration magic is and how it 'isn't a valid school of study' and so on and so forth. I'm surprised he hasn't done so already."

Onmund shrugged, not recalling any time when Tolfdir bashed upon any of the schools of magic here at the College. "_I_ have nothing against Restoration magic," he volunteered. "I think it's a perfectly valid school of study."

"Ahh, so you do appreciate it!" Colette exclaimed, seeming very pleased. "So do you know much about Restoration magic? Spells and such?"

"Not really, aside from wards and experiencing the effects of healing spells," he admitted. _I wonder if Danielle has met this lady yet,_ he began to wonder.

"Well! Then, I could teach you!" she declared excitedly. "Of course, that is, if you're interested in learning a few Restoration spells."

"Teach me?" he questioned, not having expected such a response. "I, uh, I don't know…I mean, well, I-"

"I'm not asking you to switch schools," Colette explained with bemusement. "Destruction can still be your primary avenue of study, but it is not unheard of to take on a secondary focus. In fact, one of my students is doing the exact opposite. She focuses primarily on Restoration while studying Destruction on the side. I think it's great to cultivate well-roundedness."

_The last time someone said that to me, I ended up getting conned,_ he thought, remembering Enthir's similar speech. He decided to ask, "But what about that rule that says to only practice spells in your particular school of magic?"

"Oh, for goodness' sake, I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want to do," she said impatiently. "Let me explain it to you. I would give you some books to study and you would study them on your own time, when you _have_ time, preferably after you've finished your primary duties. And then, we would meet maybe two to three times a week in the training hall for about an hour to practice the spells you learn. We could arrange it so that it does not interfere with your primary study and class time. And if it comes to the point where you start feeling overwhelmed, then you can dial back on your secondary school of study. No harm done."

"Hmm," Onmund said, pondering the offer. "Does taking on a secondary school of study make you, uh, move up faster?"

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Like graduate on up the standard levels?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"No, not necessarily. You move on up the levels- Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master as you hone your skills in a particular school. If that's what you're after, then taking a secondary is probably not recommended. But…I _will_ tell you that certain faculty positions at the College, like professor, Arch-Mage, Master Wizard, and such require you to have skills in more than one area. And of course, some of the most famous wizards in Tamriel are learned in more than one area of magic. Now if _that's_ what you're after then learning as many different types of magic as possible early on is a perfect start."

_Well, now _that's_ interesting,_ Onmund thought. _If I did that, then I could be on the fast track to getting a high-ranking position here. I would be one of the most decorated mages at a still young age, and perhaps…be in a position where I could pursue Danielle without fear of backlash. _The idea seemed almost crazy to him, but very, very feasible. He decided to give it a shot. What could he lose, anyway? Pushing himself to the limit had always been the best way for him to make progress."All right. I will go ahead and give this a try."

"You want to? All right!" Colette said gleefully. "I will go ahead and have a chat with Tolfdir about it. Then, we'll come up with a schedule for training and study time so that I don't take up any of his class time to train you. He should be fine with it."

"Great," Onmund said happily.

"Why don't you come with me to the Arcaneum, and we'll get some books for you to read before we have our first training session?" she suggested.

"All right," he replied, and together, they went inside and into the Arcaneum. Colette requested two books from Urag- _Racial Phylogeny_ and _Withershins_. Then, she sent him off with the books.

Shortly after dinner, Colette came into the Hall of Attainment and found Onmund reading the books in his room. "Is this a good time?" she asked him, standing at his doorway.

Onmund closed the book and looked up at her. "Yes. I was just reading one of the books you gave me."

She smiled approval, and then said, "I spoke with Tolfdir. And he said that it was fine with him to begin learning Restoration from me. So, if you want, you can join us in the Hall of Elements. I am having a training session right now with my primary student."

"Okay!" Onmund replied. He actually couldn't wait to finally do some hands-on spells. Putting his book down, he joined Colette out in the foyer and saw that another student was standing there whom he had never seen before.

"Onmund, this is Bridgette," Colette said, introducing him to the student.

"Hello," Bridgette said with a smile. She appeared to be a girl about his same age, tall, with pale skin, full pink lips, and her brown hair up in a ponytail. She was, Onmund, had to admit, striking to look at.

"Hello," he said to her.

"Let's go!" Colette said, and the two students followed her out the door and across the courtyard.

Onmund began to wonder why he had never seen these two women before. He thought he had at least met everybody at the College. Bridgette broke the silence by asking him, "So you're a Destruction mage wanting to learn Restoration, huh? What is a Nord like you doing as a mage anyway?"

Struck by her straightforward way of addressing him, he answered, "Magic has always been an interest of mine. Ever since I was a boy."

"Fascinating," she purred. "I bet it was hard for you growing up as a Nord mage. By the way, Colette didn't tell me that you were a Nord. I just guessed by your tall build and…are those blue eyes, you have?"

"Uh, yes," he replied, thinking, _Wow, this woman is kind of intense._ He was glad when they finally reached the main hall and went inside.

Once inside the training hall, Colette proceeded to lecture her two students with the standard anecdotes. Since Bridgette was new to the College, she had never heard any of it before, such as the College Rules and Regulations and the importance of magic and such. _But, she doesn't seem to be as concerned about the dangers of magic as Tolfdir is, _he mused. _I suppose Restoration isn't as dangerous as Destruction. I guess I can see why others might be prejudiced against this school of magic. It's more fascinating to go around destroying things than to build them up._

After her lecture, she decided that the first spells that they should practice were wards. Onmund already knew Lesser Ward so he just watched as Colette taught Bridgette the same spell, and then they practiced them on one another. Bridgette knew some Novice-level frost spells, so she was able to hit Onmund's ward with them, and he went easy on her by just shooting Sparks at her ward.

Colette then asked Onmund, "So if I remember correctly, you know some healing spells?"

Onmund shook his head. "I have only experienced the _effects_ of them. I don't know any."

"Professor," Bridgette piped up. "Mind if I show him? I know both Healing and Healing Hands."

"Well…I suppose we have a little bit of the hour left," Colette replied. "Why don't you demonstrate on him really quick? Just walk him through the process but we can teach him to do it himself some other time."

"Sure." Bridgette then looked at Onmund and said to him, "Okay, so pretend you're injured or sick or something so I can heal you."

With an amused grin, Onmund uttered a cry of pain and put his hand on his stomach, pretending to stumble backwards.

Bridgette and Colette laughed as Bridgette went up to him and put her hand on his forehead. "Okay, do you know about the energy channels in the body?" she asked him.

He shook his head.

She began to explain. "There are different channels of energy flowing within a person. For healing spells, we just focus on two of the major channels. One of them is on the forehead, where positive energy flows in. And the other, where the negative energy flows out, just depends on the situation. If you had a wound or a bruise, then that would be one of the spots." She then looked over at Colette and asked, "Is that right?"

Colette nodded in approval and smiled. "That's right. And where is the outlet for negative energy if there isn't an injury or sickness?"

"On the heart," she answered.

"That's right!" Colette replied.

Bridgette looked back at Onmund and said, "Okay, I don't know where you're injured so I'll just put my other hand on your heart." She then did so. Her face was now inches in front of his, and he could see all of the contours on her rosy lips. All of a sudden, he became self-conscious of his heart beating right under her hand. "Now, all I have to do is recite the incantation and concentrate all of my magicka on the hand that's going to channel the positive energy into you. Ready?"

He was about to nod at her to proceed when a voice broke in, "Uh, hello."

Everyone immediately stopped and looked up to see Danielle standing in the doorway. Onmund stared at her in surprise, with Bridgette's hands still on him.

"Well, hello there, Arch-Mage!" Colette piped up as she walked over to her.

Bridgette took her hands off of Onmund and stood in reverence as Colette led the Arch-Mage over to them.

"We were just practicing some Restoration spells," Colette explained. "And I am honored to finally meet the new Arch-Mage of Winterhold. I'm Colette Marence, professor of Restoration." She stuck out her hand and at first, Danielle didn't even seem to notice it as she was busy staring at Onmund. She then looked down and saw Colette's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Colette. I am Danielle."

"Danielle's an Expert in Restoration," Onmund piped up.

"Oh! Isn't that something!" Colette exclaimed with glee. "A fellow Restoration mage! And one that is the Arch-Mage!" She then leaned in towards her and said in a quieter voice, "You and I are going to have to get together sometime and have a talk. I have some ideas for the College that I've been having the _toughest_ time getting through to past staff members. Now I finally have someone who will understand!"

Danielle managed a small smile but still appeared to be struggling to process this new and strange situation so she didn't say anything at first.

Colette picked up on it and offered, "I'm sorry. You and I must get acquainted first, I know. Did you just join the College recently?"

"Yes," she replied. "A little over a month ago."

"Ah, that explains it," Colette said. "Well, like I said, I am the professor for the School of Restoration here. The reason why you've never seen me before is because I was on leave for the past three months in Solitude. You see, Jarl Elisif sought me out to provide some very much needed services to the Imperial soldiers out on the field. They are in desperate need of healers to travel to the various camps and settlements and I was asked to train these healers up. The three months were almost up when the news of the terrible events that had transpired here reached me, and I was forced to return to help rebuild the College. Oh, please tell me, was it true that two Thalmor agents were killed here?"

Danielle seemed to give a start, but then answered, "No, only one. He threatened to destroy the College."

Colette clicked her tongue and shook her head. "This is not going to be good for our reputation with the Empire. I've got to go back to Solitude and finish training those apprentices. But not until everything settles down here. I brought one of the students with me since she's actually interested in learning both Restoration and Destruction. This is Bridgette." She presented Bridgette to Danielle and she smiled. "Well, hello, Bridgette. Nice to have you here."

With a smile, Bridgette responded, "I'm really glad to be here."

Danielle then glanced briefly at Onmund before asking Colette, "Um, may I ask why you have a student of Tolfdir's here?"

_What? She doesn't know?_ Onmund wondered. He had assumed that when Colette had her chat with Tolfdir that the professor would've informed Danielle, as well, since they were jointly in charge of the Destruction school and its students.

"Oh, you mean Onmund?" Colette asked. She walked over to him and held her hand out towards him. "_This_ bright and ambitious individual has decided to learn some Restoration spells in addition to his studies in Destruction."

He saw a look of shock form on Danielle's face. Feeling his face grow warm, he stepped forward and declared, "Surprise, surprise. I'm becoming a Novice Restoration mage as well." He then added as an aside to Colette, "She and I are classmates in Tolfdir's class."

Danielle appeared speechless. She then looked at Colette and asked, "Did Tolfdir approve of this?"

"Yes, he did," Onmund broke in, trying to reassure her. "It's only a secondary focus of study. Destruction is still my primary focus."

"This is a wizard in the making," Colette beamed.

By this point, Onmund was sincerely hoping that Danielle would be overjoyed right now to hear of this news. But she just stood quietly, still seeming in shock. It was not quite the reaction he was hoping for from her, and it made his spirits dip a little.

"I'm _so_ glad that he joined us," Colette continued to gush, not noticing Danielle's disparaging expression. "Being an Apprentice Destruction mage, I can have him teach Bridgette some basic Destruction skills in the meantime, as well." She paused a beat, and then added, "But only if his schedule allows, of course."

Danielle now was appearing uncomfortable. But with her expression set, she said with a strained voice, "Well...I'm sure he will be a valuable addition to your class. I'm sorry to cut this short, but I must be getting back to my quarters. I have some letters to write."

"Good night, Arch-Mage!" Colette said. "I will come by sometime tomorrow."

With a smile that seemed forced, she left them.

Onmund became troubled. _She sure was acting strange. I wonder what that was all about?_ he wondered. As Colette dismissed him and Bridgette, promising to train with them again in a couple of days, he walked back to the Hall of Attainment alone. _She actually didn't seem all too happy to hear that I'm taking on Restoration as my secondary. I thought she would be proud of me. I'm trying to push myself here at the College and to really make a name for myself. And I didn't seem to be getting appreciation for it from her- the Arch-Mage of all people._ As he walked over to his room and began dressing for bed, he started to worry. _Is she changing? Is her new post as Arch-Mage and all the power and responsibility that goes with it all going to her head? _He winced as he remembered how she had simply addressed him as "one of Tolfdir's students" to Colette. _She could've just used my name. We've been friends for so long that it feels strange not to be addressed in any other way. It actually stings a little. Maybe she really is changing. As Arch-Mage, she probably spends all her time with all of the high-ranking members of the College and no doubt would have to soon interact with officials from all over Skyrim. I doubt she would want to associate with a lowly Apprentice like me, anymore. I should've seen this coming._ Suddenly, everything he was doing seemed like a joke- pursuing her, learning Restoration magic, and working so hard in general. _No, that isn't right. Pursuing her is the only joke here. Everything else is important and is part of my dream- even learning Restoration magic. _Originally, he had agreed to take it on as his secondary because he thought it might get him closer to Danielle, but now, he realized that even with that motive removed, he did find himself interested in learning a diverse set of spells. And Colette thought that he would be useful- namely in teaching Bridgette some Destruction spells. And Bridgette seemed so excited about it, too. For once, he felt like he had a real purpose there at the College. And it wasn't just some vague, lofty goal of trying to be the best Destruction mage or some inane attempt to win over a girl's heart; this purpose was clear and meaningful.

He blew his candle out and climbed into bed, vowing to reduce the amount of distractions in his life and focus on what was important right now- that is, being a good Destruction and Restoration student and focusing on his studies. He vowed to forget about Danielle for good. There was no use trying to pursue her; it was no longer a good idea anyway. So he tried to put away the prospect for good.

* * *

_If you've read this far into my story, I am very thankful for your support and follows/favorites! Writing this story gave me great joy and it's even a better feeling when others read it and get to enjoy it, as well._

_The first time I played through this game, I didn't meet Colette Marence until AFTER the main College quest line, so when I did, my thought was, "OMG! Mirabelle came back to life!"_

_Bridgette is an OC created by me. I thought it would be entertaining to create a character that was very forward with men- someone who knows just how to keep nice guys like Onmund on his toes! And all that gobble-de-gook about energy channels and stuff was just made up by me and is nothing more than to give substance to the art of Restoration magic and make these people sound like they know what they're talking about!_


	22. Night on Dragon Mountain

Two weeks went by and Onmund couldn't have been more content as a pupil at the College of Winterhold. Now juggling two schools of magic, he studied very hard, sometimes staying up past midnight to read up on his incantations. He learned to function on very little sleep and sometimes even ended up skipping meals- not on purpose but because time seemed to get away from him on occasion. But it seemed to have no ill effect on him; he was acing his oral and written exams in both Tolfdir's and Colette's classes and had not only his professors' favor, but also those of the scholars and wizards at the College. People like Arniel and Faralda complimented him, saying things like, "I wouldn't be surprised if you became Arch-Mage one day."

Onmund was relishing the attention. Not only that, Bridgette seemed to look up to him. She had eventually taught him the Healing spell and in return, he taught her Sparks and Lightning Bolt. She was a friendly girl, albeit blunt at times. After getting to know her a bit, he found out that she was an Imperial orphan from Cyrodiil, who ended up in Skyrim only after escaping from the orphanage she had lived in since childhood because she "wanted to see the world." She ended up taking the carriage from Whiterun to Solitude and it was there where she met Colette, who impressed upon her young mind the dreams of becoming a mage.

Onmund saw his fellow Apprentice Destruction mages, J'zargo, Brelyna, and of course, Danielle, very little outside of class. Every once in a while, he and J'zargo would hang out and trade jokes during meals. J'zargo's new thing was to tease him about his "wanting to become a temple priest" because of his interest in Restoration spells. But he took it all in stride. Brelyna's attitude towards him, though, seemed to change altogether. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she almost seemed to shun him in a way, as if his dabbling in other schools of magic was somehow bad or diluting the purity of their class. And Danielle…well, he didn't see her much at all, aside from their training sessions and passing her on occasion in the courtyard or main hall, but she was always with someone like Tolfdir or one of the other faculty members and they only managed cursory glances at each other. In truth, it was still hard to stop thinking about her. She still managed to stir up some old feelings within him whenever he saw her in class or his thoughts drifted towards her in the still of the night. She was as extremely busy as ever. She had been giving Brelyna some one-on-one remedial training because she was struggling with some of the spells and even took her out on a field trip for a day. She had constant visitors in her quarters from within and outside of the College wanting to discuss important business. He felt like she had pretty much forgotten about him.

So it was that Onmund put thoughts of Danielle on the back-burner and tried to focus on his studies. He also finally wrote a letter to his parents; he hadn't written to them since coming here. It was a pretty brief letter- it just let them know that he had made it to Winterhold in one piece and was doing very well. He also inquired whether they were doing well. But two weeks had gone by and he got no reply from them. This somewhat troubled him but he figured that they were still angry with him for leaving on such bad terms. _It's just as well, I guess,_ he thought. _If my parents have cut me off, then there's nothing I can do about it. I've been flourishing in my new life, anyway, and I've acquired a new family._ He decided to put them out of his mind for the time being.

One day, he was in the training hall with Colette and Bridgette, and Colette asked him, "Are you ready to try learning Healing Hands?"

_Ready? I'm ready for anything!_ he thought to himself. _I've already learned Healing, so I'm ready for more advanced Restoration skills!_ "Yes, I am," he said.

"Then, I'll go ahead and teach you," she replied. "I want you to try it on Bridgette."

"Okay," he responded and stood facing Bridgette. "Now I first need to put my hand on her forehead, where the positive energy flows in, right?"

"That's right," Colette replied.

Onmund proceeded to place his large hand on her forehead. "Then, I put my hand somewhere where the negative energy flows out?" he asked.

Colette nodded. "And where is that?"

"On the affected area or wound," he answered, remembering his walkthrough with Bridgette. "Or the heart if there isn't one or it's unknown."

"You got it!" Colette exclaimed, smiling approval.

"All right, where are you hurt?" Onmund asked Bridgette.

"Where do you think I'm hurt?" Bridgette challenged with a smirk.

He chuckled nervously, not knowing how to respond. Colette cut in, "Bridgette, be serious."

With a mischievous grin, Bridgette declared, "I've been struck in the heart."

"Okay, I'll just have to put my hand there then," he said. He then placed his hand on her heart, which he could feel beating even through her robes. He noticed that she stared up into his eyes as he did this. He quickly averted them and focused them on his hand and then said, "And now for the incantation." He closed his eyes and concentrated his magicka into his hand on Bridgette's heart and recited the incantation, which he had memorized prior to the class. As he spoke, he could feel the magicka flow from his hand outward into Bridgette. It felt unlike any of the Destruction spells he had learned. As he finished the incantation, he opened his eyes.

Bridgette was still gazing up at him, her cheeks flushed a bright pink.

"Did he do it right?" Colette asked her.

"Absolutely," she responded.

"Congratulations, Onmund," Colette declared. "You have now mastered three basic Restoration spells."

Onmund beamed, feeling good about himself. "Thanks!"

"Onmund, I wanted to ask you something," Colette continued. "I am aware that you have other obligations, but I was wondering if you wanted to go with me and Bridgette to the field tonight."

"Tonight?" Onmund questioned. "And, uh, where are you going?"

"To Mount Anthor," she answered. "There is…something there that I need for my research. We may even have to spend the night."

"Spend the night? I don't think I can. I have class with Tolfdir in the morning."

"I can ask him to excuse you. It'll only be for that one class."

"Um, well, I'm not sure about that…"

"It would be better if a man were there," Bridgette chimed in, giving him a pointed look.

"I don't know…" Onmund hesitated. "What is it exactly that you're looking for?"

"I'm looking for scales from a dragon," Colette answered.

Onmund and Bridgette looked at her incredulously. "A _dragon_?!" they both cried out at the same time.

Colette nodded. "I'm trying to develop a new, powerful ward spell. Dragon scales are some of the strongest materials known to man, and it's a crucial ingredient. I know that there is one living on Mount Anthor. Our best bet is to kill it while it's sleeping."

"I've never seen a dragon before!" Bridgette declared.

"They're nothing to mess with," Onmund said.

"You've _seen_ one then?" Bridgette asked, her eyes wide.

"Uh, yes," he replied, not sure now if he should've opened his big mouth.

"Then that's perfect!" Colette exclaimed. "Onmund, you _must_ come with us tonight. Your skills and experience are absolutely necessary for this endeavor!"

"But, what about Tolfdir?" he asked uncertainly.

"_I'll_ take care of Tolfdir," Colette assured. "We'll come back tomorrow morning, I promise. You won't miss any other of your obligations for the day. And…if this spell succeeds, I will give you and Bridgette due credit for helping me develop it."

Onmund didn't like the idea of missing Tolfdir's class, but he had to admit, the prospect of helping develop something brand new at the College sounded exciting. _I have to think outside of my little world and shoot for ambitious goals every once in a while! _ _And what's one class, anyway? _All they had been learning was the same old thing everyday…practicing their spells, making more efficient use of their magicka, and learning about history. It was so easy, almost to the point of boredom. He decided to take Colette's offer and meet up again tonight.

As Onmund and Bridgette left the training hall and Colette went off to find Tolfdir, Bridgette said to him, "You're really good at those healing spells. You must be good at a _lot_ of things with your hands."

Onmund gulped as he looked into her intense stare. _That was definitely a come-on,_ he knew, getting nervous again. He tried to shrug it off and said as nonchalantly as he could muster, "Thanks. You taught me well, I guess."

"You know, you're really nice," she complimented. "I think you're one of the nicest people at this College."

"Thank you," he replied. He really did appreciate the compliment. "I think you're really nice, too."

"So, where do you like to study?" she asked. "Do you study by yourself in the Arcaneum?"

"No," he replied. "I study by myself in my room." _I used to study in the Arcaneum with Danielle before she became Arch-Mage but that arrangement quickly fell apart,_ he remembered.

"That's a shame," she remarked. "Someone as friendly as you shouldn't have to study alone. Whaddya say we be study partners?"

Once again taken aback by her forwardness, he replied, "Uh, sure, I'll be your study partner if you want me to."

"Fabulous," she declared. "Well, I'd better go back to my room. I have some things to do before we go out to Mount Anthor tonight. See you later, Onmund."

"All right, see you later, Bridgette," he said and waved her off.

At 6PM, Onmund, Bridgette, and Colette met in the training hall to depart for their trip to Mount Anthor.

"Everyone have everything they need?" Colette asked.

"Yes," the two students replied.

"All right, then let's go!"

As they left the College grounds and the town of Winterhold into the northern mountains nearby, Colette explained to them what their plan was going to be. "We're going to set up our tent near the summit and wait for the dragon to come and roost for the night. So that it won't detect us, we'll cover the tent with a layer of snow beforehand so that we blend in with the landscape. That also means we won't be able to make any fires. So it'll be a little uncomfortable. But I brought some Potions of Resist Cold that we can drink throughout the night to make it more bearable. When the dragon's fast asleep, we'll sneak in and attack and hopefully we can take it down easily that way."

_Sounds like a plan,_ Onmund thought. _I sure hope it works._

As they ascended the mountain path, he told them about his experience with dragons. He told them about how he had fought and killed a dragon in Kynesgrove and in Labyrinthian. He had mentioned that Danielle was with him both of those times, but he didn't tell them about how she had handled the battles or about her healing Roggi. They didn't seem to care, anyway, rather wanting to hear more about _his_ personal experience.

He explained to them, "You'll want to ward right away when it opens its mouth. They can breathe fire or ice. Watch out for their teeth and claws. They can swipe you with them. And they can hit you with their tails, too. They're hard to hit in the air but I can hit them just fine with lightning spells."

Bridgette and Colette were enthralled with his stories. They soon reached the peak of Mount Anthor and they could see the dragon roost above a Word Wall. Word Walls were stone walls carved with incantations written in the dragon language. Very few people in Skyrim understood what these incantations were and what they meant and Onmund was definitely not one of them. The three mages didn't have time to examine the Word Wall too closely as they had to get their camp set up before the dragon returned to its roost. So he helped them set up the tent and the bed rolls inside and then they covered the surface of it with a thin layer of snow so that it looked white. They then went inside and waited.

Soon, they heard the sound of great wings flapping. They all went silent and exchanged glances with each other. The flapping sound grew louder and Onmund whispered, "It's coming."

Colette and Bridgette nodded, and they all listened as the flapping sounded like it was right over them, then there was a sound like a tree falling on stone, and then all was quiet. Bridgette's eyes were wide with fear.

"Wait until it's fast asleep," Colette whispered very quietly and Bridgette and Onmund nodded.

It was an uncomfortable wait, as they had to make very little noise and movement as possible, and everyone except Onmund started to shiver. However, reaching for a potion now would require them to make a little bit too much noise.

After a long wait, and hearing no further sounds outside, Colette whispered again, "It's time."

Very quietly, each of the mages climbed out of the tent, one-by-one. As Onmund crawled out of the tent, he looked up and saw the dragon right there in front of him, perched up on top of the Word Wall, its wings folded around its body and its head tucked underneath. _What a frightening sight,_ he thought. _I've never been this close to a sleeping dragon before. I sure hope we can take it down quickly._

Colette was the last one to emerge from the tent, and she motioned for the three of them to spread out. She was holding a Staff of Sparks in one hand and a Staff of Frostbite in the other. She gave the latter to Bridgette, who nervously took it and walked away. Onmund readied his lightning spells and took his position right underneath the dragon. When everyone was in place, they looked over at Colette who waited a second or two, and then gave the signal. All three of the mages held their staves and hands up toward the dragon and bombarded it with their spells simultaneously.

As soon as it was hit, the dragon gave a start and jumped up, flailing its wings. It flew up into the air and out of sight.

"Oh, no!" Colette cried. "Did we scare it away?"

Onmund looked at her uncertainly but didn't say anything. Somehow, he doubted it. The wind was starting to pick up, and he listened hard. He then heard the flapping of wings again and he warned, "Get ready to ward. It's coming back."

The flapping of wings grew louder and the dragon emerged again over the mountain top, and as it flew over them, it sprayed them with frost. All three mages threw up their wards to avoid the blast.

Things then started happening quickly. Onmund whipped around to strike the dragon with Lightning Bolt as it circled around them and Bridgette and Colette were trying to hit the dragon with their spells, too, but missed. Everyone ducked out of the way as another spray of its frosty breath came down upon the mountain. Scrambling to their feet, the mages looked up again to see the dragon circle around the roost and land. They then let out another barrage of attack spells as the dragon roared out in pain.

"My magicka's all gone!" Bridgette suddenly shouted, dropping her staff.

Without a moment's hesitation, Onmund ran over to her as the dragon steadied itself. He knew what was coming next. As Colette still hit it with Sparks, the dragon lowered its head towards Bridgette.

"Get behind me!" Onmund shouted to her as the dragon started to open its mouth.

Bridgette crouched behind him as Onmund quickly put up his ward to protect both of them from the icy blast from its mouth. As soon as the blasting ceased, he shouted up to it, "Now this is the part where you fall down and die!" He held out both of his hands and let forth a powerful dual-casted Lightning Bolt spell, which struck the dragon and stunned it momentarily. Bridgette stood up from behind him and watched awestruck as the dragon struggled to stay on its perch, but now severely weakened, it lost its balance and slipped off.

He saw Colette standing under it and yelled to her, "Colette! Run!"

Colette saw the dragon about to fall right on top of her and she broke into a run towards them. The dragon fell off of its perch and crashed onto the ground in front of the Word Wall, nearly throwing all three of the mages off balance as the ground shook. Its body now lay still.

The three mages cautiously looked on as silence began to fill the mountain top again, and coincidentally, the wind started to die down.

"Did you kill it?" Bridgette asked.

"I think it's dead," Onmund confirmed.

"Wow," Colette breathed. "What a sight!"

She then cast Candlelight so that they could all see better and they slowly approached the dragon's body. With the light hovering over them, Onmund could see every scale and vein on the dragon's body. Colette reached into her pocket and pulled out a small dagger. She then proceeded to slice off a few of the dragon's scales. Each was about as big as his hand and as thick as a book cover.

"Well, that's that!" Colette finally said as she put the scales into her satchel. "You two have done a fine job at bringing this creature down."

"Oh, it was Onmund who pretty much brought him down," Bridgette gushed. "You were amazing!"

Onmund smiled humbly and said, "Thanks. I guess I _am_ glad that I came along."

"How does everyone feel?" Colette asked. "Do we want to head back to the College now or stay up here? Personally, I am exhausted."

"Oh, I'm tired, too," Bridgette agreed. "We can head back in the morning."

"Well, I suppose I can stay up here for the night, then," Onmund said. "Was Tolfdir okay with me missing class tomorrow?"

"Yes," Colette assured. "I talked to him earlier today and he said it was fine. Said you can talk to him when you get back to see what you missed."

"All right…" he replied. "Let's get back inside the tent then."

The three of them climbed back into the tent and the two women immediately drank some Potions of Resist Cold before climbing into their beds. Onmund climbed into his and they all said good night to each other before falling silent.

As he stared up at the ceiling, he tried not to think too much about missing class the next day. He could very well just head back to the College by himself right now but that would mean leaving the two women alone on the mountain, which he could not find in himself to do. _Colette already talked it over with Tolfdir, and he had given his permission, so there's nothing to worry about, _he reminded himself. He then wondered what Danielle would think. He imagined that both she and Tolfdir would've had to have given their permission for him to miss still couldn't quite figure out what she really thought about him and his new ambition to learn Restoration magic on the side. He thought she would have been proud of him, but her demeanor towards him ever since their encounter in the training hall two weeks ago seemed to tell him otherwise. _Why would she have a problem with it?_ he wondered. _I just don't get it. Maybe she just has something against Restoration magic._ He did notice that she had never touted her expertise in Restoration with pride. She used her knowledge and skill when it was a necessity, like when she had healed Roggi after the dragon attack and when she had healed him during the battle with Morokei. But she seemed more excited about Destruction than anything. If he remembered right, the life of a pure Restoration mage meant a life of confinement and boredom for her. While he could understand that, he just wished that she could give more credit to the art. Restoration wasn't all that boring and bad.

He found himself reaching into his pocket to find the piece of Malachite Ore that she had given him, and was slightly disturbed that he couldn't find it. He then reached into his other pocket, and when he didn't find it there, either, he started to become alarmed. _Oh, no, where did it go?_ he wondered with worry. _It didn't fall out did it? That was my only reminder of…of her._ His heart sank as he realized he had lost the ore. _I should've put it away in my room, in the safety of my drawer or something._ But he had kept it in his pocket since the day she had given it to him, sometimes reaching into it to feel the rough texture of it or to squeeze it and remind himself of all of the good times he had with her, back when they were mere Novices. So much _had_ changed between them in a short amount of time. He realized that she hardly even paid attention to him anymore. He hadn't had a real conversation with her in a long time. And for whatever reason, he noticed an air of disdain towards him ever since finding out he had taken up his secondary focus of study. _It's not just because she's Arch-Mage that she's been this way towards me, _he knew. _I think she's losing interest in me completely._ It pained him to think so, but he knew it was the cold and hard truth. He soon fell asleep, and with the negative thoughts still in his head, he had nightmares. Some of the nightmares had him eaten up by the dragon and some others had him watch as the College was destroyed, and he was helpless to stop it.

He finally woke up as the first light of dawn began showing in the tent, and he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Looking around him, he saw that Bridgette was still asleep and Colette's bed was empty. He stuck his head outside of the tent and glanced around. The dragon's body was still lying off to the side where it was the night before and a light snow was falling. He climbed completely out of his bed and started rolling it up. All the noise he was making stirred Bridgette awake. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Good morning," she said groggily, stretching.

"Good morning," he replied, continuing to roll up his bed.

She sat up and slowly climbed out of her bed. "Where's Colette?" she then asked when she noticed the empty bed next to her, as well.

"I don't know," Onmund shrugged. "Probably went outside for a bit, I'm guessing."

As Bridgette crawled out of her bed, she suddenly stopped, noticing something on the ground beneath her. She picked it up and examined it.

"What is it?" he asked her, packing his bed roll away.

"I don't know, I just found it here," she replied.

Onmund crawled over to her to get a closer look and then gasped. It was the Malachite Ore that he thought he had lost! "Give me that!" he cried and snatched it away from her.

She gawked at him, surprised at his urgent reaction.

"I'm s-sorry," he immediately apologized, feeling embarrassed by his sudden outburst. "I've just…been looking for that."

"What is it?" she asked him.

"It's a piece of Malachite Ore," he answered. "It's very valuable."

"Oh…" she replied slowly, looking at him with a disapproving sort of look.

"But, I mean…that's not why I'm so attached to it," he explained feverishly, worried that she might take it the wrong way- that he was greedy or something.

"Why _are_ you attached to it, then?" she questioned.

"Um…well…" he started, not sure if he wanted to explain the real reason to her. "It was just given to me by someone. Someone special."

Raising one eyebrow, she echoed, "Someone special? Who?"

Onmund really didn't want to tell her who it was, so he didn't answer her at first. So she then spoke up again. "Girlfriend?"

"N-no," he answered quickly. "I mean…I don't have a girlfriend. Just…a friend of mine gave it to me."

"Is it a she?" she asked.

"…yes," he responded.

"How sweet," she gushed. "She must mean a lot to you then, huh?"

Onmund hesitated before slowly nodding his head in the affirmative.

"I'm such a sucker for stories like that," she admitted. "Someday you'll have to tell me all about her. But don't worry, I won't make you do that right now. I was actually wondering if you had any Resist Cold Potions. I think I ran out of all of mine."

"No," he replied. "I gave all of mine to you and Colette because I didn't need any."

"Oh. Damnit," she said. "And Colette must've taken her satchel with her."

"You cold?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I hate this climate. I don't know how you can stand to live in it all your life."

"I'm used to it, I guess. Uh, would a Healing spell warm you up?" he suggested.

This made Bridgette chuckle a little. "No, why would you think that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I've heard healing spells are good for thawing out something that's frozen."

"Really?" she asked, intrigued. Grinning at him, she scooted closer to him and asked, "Are you offering to warm me up?"

Onmund gulped, taken by surprise by her flirty tone. He hadn't meant his question to mean that he was offering to heal her himself, but he realized that it came out that way. "I-I-I could try casting it on you, I guess," he stammered nervously.

He started to raise his hand up to her forehead but she surprised him when she uttered, "Hold me."

"What?" he questioned, putting his hand down, not sure if he had heard her right.

"Hold me," she repeated. Amused at his surprised expression, she said, "It's how we stayed warm at the orphanage. We all considered each other brothers and sisters. Just think of me as your sister if you're uncomfortable with it."

Onmund gulped once again, but he reached out and tentatively wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her body against him and cooed, "Ooh, you _are_ warm!" She then snuggled up close to him.

At first, he thought, _This actually _does_ feel pleasant. It's warming me up, too!_ But after a few seconds went by, he started to feel awkward because he couldn't think of anything to say and something about it just didn't feel right. Even when he did try to pretend she was his sister, the fact of the matter remained that he was holding a strange woman in his arms.

Suddenly, Colette appeared in the tent entrance, causing Onmund to immediately retract his arms and jump away from Bridgette. But it was too late. Colette saw it all, and his jumping back certainly didn't help in making the situation look any better. A smirk spread on her face. "Um, do you want me to come back in a few minutes?" she asked.

"N-no!" Onmund replied forcefully, now completely flustered. "Please come on in."

"All right," she responded slowly, seeming to stifle a grin. She crawled into the tent with them, carrying a bottle. "I was just outside experimenting with the potion. I guess I couldn't help myself. But, it didn't quite work the way I thought it would, so…I think it's best if we returned to the College now."

"Okay, sounds good," he agreed with enthusiasm. He couldn't stand the knowing expression on her face as she looked back and forth between him and Bridgette. He wanted to tell her, _Whatever you saw, it's not what you think it is. It's not what you think it is, at all. _He mentally shook his head at himself as he packed everything up including helping them fold up the tent. _That was really embarrassing,_ he thought. _Now Colette thinks we were up to something and we totally weren't! I was just being nice, that's all._ He looked over at Bridgette as they packed up the tent and started on their way back to the College. _She's a nice girl and I like her, but I just don't want her to get the wrong message. I don't see her in _that_ way. She understands that, too, right?_ He began to grow worried, but he figured there wasn't anything he could do about it lest he make the situation worse, so he walked in silence with them all the way back to the College.

It was now a little past 10AM, and the three of them stopped in the courtyard to wrap up their field trip.

"Well, thank you, Bridgette and Onmund, for assisting me on that trip," Colette said. "Bridgette, why don't you go ahead and rest a bit? We'll begin class in about half an hour. Onmund, I will see you tomorrow."

"See you," he said to them and watched both of them retreat into the Hall of Countenance. He decided to go into the Hall of Elements and see if he could perhaps catch Tolfdir or any of the other Destruction students and inquire about what he missed. Their class had probably ended already but sometimes they stayed behind in the training hall to chat or practice their spells for a bit.

He went inside and walked straight into the training hall. It was completely deserted, so with a sigh, he turned around to go back outside.

"Onmund," he heard someone call out to him.

He looked over to his right, and saw Danielle standing at the doorway to the Arch-Mage's Quarters. She was alone. His heart skipped a beat as he walked over to her and said, "Hello."

Without a word, she gestured for him to step inside the doorway and they went in. She shut the door behind them and they began climbing the stairwell. "You missed class this morning," she commented.

He nodded. "I was out helping Colette with something. Didn't Tolfdir tell you?"

"He didn't tell me until this morning," she told him.

"Oh," he responded. "She, Bridgette, and I killed a dragon on Mount Anthor last night."

"You killed a dragon?" she asked incredulously. "Is-is everyone all right? No one got hurt?"

"No," he assured her. "We're all fine. So…what did I miss this morning?"

Frowning, she looked away from him. "You…you didn't miss much. Tolfdir gave us all an assignment, though."

"What was it?" he asked.

She looked back up at him, studying his face for a second before finally saying, "We are all to recreate a spell from scratch. It doesn't matter what type of spell we choose. It doesn't even have to be a Destruction spell, either. We are to present our spell to him next week in class. There's several catalogues in the Arcaneum that we can look at to give us ideas."

"Oh. Wow," he said in amazement. "Recreate a spell from scratch, huh? That's going to be…that's going to be a challenge. Were you given the same assignment, too?"

"We were _all_ given the assignment," she answered in a somewhat curt tone. "Arch-Mage or not, I'm still a student of Tolfdir's."

"I know that," he said, somewhat taken aback by her sharper-than-normal tone. "So what spell are you going to recreate?"

"I don't know yet," she replied more softly this time. "I'll probably be doing a lot of research tonight and tomorrow."

He started to lose himself in her eyes again, and with that, he could see a hint of apprehension in them, and he wasn't sure what it was all about. However, he tried to keep himself rooted in reality. He was very tired, and he just wanted to go back into his room and take a nap. Staying here in her presence was starting to wear on him. He asked, "So is that all I missed?"

Danielle nodded.

He was about to take his leave, but then she suddenly spoke, "Onmund, can I ask you something?"

He looked back at her warily, his attention all hers, though.

"Tell me the truth," she started apprehensively. "Are you…starting to lose interest in Destruction magic?"

Shocked that she would ask such a thing, he shook his head fervently. "No," he answered firmly. "No, I'm not losing interest. Why would I be?"

She didn't answer him at first, so he went on. "Is it because I missed class today? Is that it? Danielle, it was just _one_ class. It won't happen again, I promise. Destruction is still my main interest and will continue to be."

After a brief, uncomfortable pause, she said, "I know it is. It's just that I'm…concerned."

"Concerned?" he questioned, feeling his frustration and voice start to rise. "You're concerned? You don't even talk to me anymore except to interrogate me like you're doing right now. In fact, you hardly even look at me anymore. And you're trying to tell me that you're _concerned_ about me?"

Surprised by his emotional outburst, she opened her mouth and said sharply, "Onmund! What has gotten into you? Are you-"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Swallowing up the rest of her words, whatever they were going to be, Danielle called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me- Drevis," the faint voice answered back. "I came to talk to you about those books."

Danielle took a deep breath, closed her eyes momentarily, and yelled back, "I'll be there in just a minute!" She then looked up at Onmund, who was looking down at the floor and shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "We'll talk about this later, Onmund," she said to him.

"There's no need," he responded calmly. "I'm going to be very busy. As I'm sure you will be, as well. Farewell, Arch-Mage." He then left her and went down the stairs, opening the door for Drevis and letting him in before he stepped out.

He walked back to his room in the Hall of Attainment and plopped himself onto his bed, shutting his eyes. His head hurt for some reason, and he tried to shut out the pain as he thought about his conduct in front of the Arch-Mage- the woman who had once been his best friend, Danielle. He knew that he had acted inappropriately with his emotional outburst, but he just couldn't help it. He had been frustrated for a long time. Every day that he was in the same room with her during class, he would look at her in her decorated robes, speaking with authority to everyone, being given special treatment by Tolfdir, and wonder, _Is that the same person whom I ate and laughed with at the Frozen Hearth over a month ago? Is that the same person with whom I spent countless hours out on the field and talking about teamwork? Because now I feel like we are nothing to each other. _Maybe it wasn't true that she deliberately ignored him. She had certainly never treated him badly since becoming Arch-Mage and she did say "hi" to him on occasion. But things just weren't the same anymore between them. He thought about what she had said to him out on the roof that one night, how she would "always be his friend," and wondered, _Where is my friend now? She has no time for me, a mere student. I can't even have a meaningful private conversation with her without being interrupted._ Deep down, he felt guilty for putting all the blame on her, though. It wasn't as if she did it on purpose. _I guess I am being unfair, _he realized. _But what am I supposed to do? Dealing with this is harder than I thought._ He decided that he would just work harder at his studies. He just needed to get his mind off of her._ That's what I need to do. I'll find forgetfulness in my work, just like I had done after Roxanne rejected me._ With that decided, he fell asleep and napped for a couple of hours.

* * *

_Whew, this is the longest chapter yet; I hope you all enjoy it! When I think of Onmund in the last paragraph, I think of Ordinary World by Duran Duran:_

_Came in from a rainy Thursday on the avenue_

_Thought I heard you talkin' softly_

_I turned on the lights, the TV, and the radio_

_Still I can't escape the ghost of you_

_What has happened to it all?_

_Crazy some'd say_

_Where is the life that I recognize?_

_Gone away_

_But I won't cry for yesterday_

_There's an ordinary world_

_Somehow I have to find_

_And as I try to make my way_

_To the ordinary world_

_I will learn to survive_

_Passion or coincidence once prompted you to say_

_"Pride will tear us both apart"_

_Well, now pride's gone out the window, 'cross the rooftops, run away_

_Left me in the vacuum of my heart_

_What is happening to me?_

_Crazy some'd say_

_Where is my friend when I need you most?_

_Gone away_

_But I won't cry for yesterday_

_There's an ordinary world_

_Somehow I have to find_

_And as I try to make my way_

_To the ordinary world_

_I will learn to survive_

_Papers in the roadside tell of suffering and greed_

_Feared today, forgot tomorrow_

_Ooh, here, beside the news of holy war and holy need_

_Ours is just a little sorrowed talk_

_And I don't cry for yesterday_

_There's an ordinary world_

_Somehow I have to find_

_And as I try to make my way_

_To the ordinary world_

_I will learn to survive_

_Every world is my world (I will learn to survive)_

_Any world is my world (I will learn to survive)_

_Any world is my world (I will learn to survive)_

_And don't worry, I will not be so mean as to ruin Onmund with this new character! She only serves to rile him up a little and keep him on his toes! Colette will also be around for the next few chapters to make things interesting, as well._


	23. Rumors

When Onmund woke up, he studied up on his incantations and then went to go have dinner, joining J'zargo in the dining area. Onmund liked having J'zargo as a friend. He was always laid-back and never complicated things. After dinner, they practiced their Destruction spells in the training hall together. J'zargo began bragging about how he was recreating a variant of the Flame Cloak spell and how he was going to demonstrate it next week when Onmund remembered the assignment that Danielle had told him about. He didn't even have a _clue_ about what he was going to recreate. As soon as their practice session was over, he made a beeline for the Arcaneum.

After talking to Urag, he was sent off with a stack of spell books and catalogues. He took a seat at the table where he and Danielle used to study at and started poring over the books, wondering what in the world he could try recreating from scratch. He took a look at some shock spells and before long, became overwhelmed after reading about all of the work and research that was going to be needed to recreate those types of spells.

Just then, he heard a voice say, "Hello, Onmund. Mind if I join you?"

He looked up and saw Bridgette making her way towards him. He hadn't expected to see her there, but then he remembered that he had previously agreed to be her study partner. "Hey, Bridgette. Uh, no, go ahead and have a seat." The memory of their awkward moment in the tent that morning threatened to creep back into his mind but he tried to force them away.

Bridgette set the books down that she was carrying and took a seat in the chair across from him at the table. "Whatcha studying?"

"Oh, just looking for a spell to recreate. Tolfdir gave us an assignment that's due next week where we have to recreate a spell from scratch and I'm just looking for one that's easy to do."

"Wow, sounds hard," she remarked. "They have you recreating spells from scratch?"

He nodded. "What are you going to study?"

"The incantations for these wards that Colette is trying to teach me," she replied.

"Oh, I see," he said. "I'd be happy to study with you, but…this is kind of an important assignment."

"Not a problem," she assured. "You read your books and I'll read mine. I'm meeting my girl friends for a card game in about an hour anyway."

"Your girl friends?" he asked.

"Yes. Mariya and Gwynn from the Conjuration school," she answered.

"Oh, sounds like fun," he remarked. He had remembered hearing about the new batch of Novices that had arrived at the College since the Eye of Magnus incident but hadn't gotten to know any of them. Going back to his books, he tried to concentrate on finding a decent spell that he could recreate for his assignment. But all of the ones that he looked at seemed very difficult and time-consuming. Feeling discouraged, he decided to spend the next half hour helping Bridgette study about wards. When it was time for her to leave for her card game, she said to him, "Thank you for your help, Onmund. You're really sweet." Then, she got up and left.

Glad to have been helpful to someone, Onmund felt a little better going back to his assignment. But his positive attitude didn't last long. As he sat there going through the spell catalogues for the next hour and a half, he began getting more worried as he couldn't seem to figure out what he was going to do. Soon, worry was replaced by weariness, and before he knew it, he had passed out right there at the table.

He was awakened by someone tapping him gently. "Onmund," the person urged him. "Onmund! The Arcaneum is closing in ten minutes." It was Danielle.

In somewhat of a daze, he lifted his head up at her as she gazed over him with a slightly concerned look on her face. She picked up the book that he had been perusing for the past hour and placed a bookmark in it before closing it. _Oh, great, just what I need; I'm about to get another talking-to from the Arch-Mage…_But instead of interrogating him, she asked gently, "Do you want me to check this book out for you?"

He stared at her blankly at first before answering, "Uh, no, thank you." Suddenly feeling a little embarrassed for having been caught asleep there, he quickly added, "I'll just head back to my room."

Without even a hint of contempt or scorn, she quietly helped him pick up his books and took them over to Urag's desk for him.

"Thank you," he said to her after she had finished.

"Mmhmm," she acknowledged warmly.

Onmund felt like a total jerk, then. He remembered how he had talked to her previously and he couldn't just let her walk away. She was about to, but he stopped her. "Wait," he said. "I'll walk you back to your room."

She gave him a hesitant look but finally said, "All right."

He accompanied her out of the Arcaneum and they didn't say a word to each other until they got close to her door. "How's your spell coming along?" he finally asked to break the silence.

"I haven't started yet," she admitted. "I've been so busy today. Drevis was in my room for two hours this morning talking about a book. Then, I had something to work on with Tolfdir, and then Colette came to talk to me, and just now, I got done meeting with Arniel…" She then looked at Onmund with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry…you probably don't want to hear about all that."

"No, no," he protested. "I understand."

"What about you?" she asked. "Have you found out what you want to do?"

He shook his head ruefully. "No. I can't figure out what I want to do. I guess I'll try again tomorrow."

"You seem to be working very hard, though," she remarked. "How's learning about Restoration coming along? Are you enjoying it?"

He smiled slightly, glad that this subject was no longer contentious. "Yes. I'm learning a lot."

"And Colette, is she a good teacher?"

"She's good. She seems a little paranoid sometimes but she's good at what she does."

"And Bridgette, your fellow student, you get along with her?"

He nodded. "She's very nice."

As he said this, he noticed her expression change. In a tone that seemed forced, she commented, "That's good you're making new friends."

Wondering about her sudden change in demeanor, he offered, "You should talk to Bridgette sometime. I think she'd be ecstatic to get to know you- a fellow Restoration mage and all."

"Yes, Colette has told me about her," she replied, seeming uncomfortable. "Colette has also told me a lot about you. She's very happy to have you as a student and she's said a lot of good things about you."

"Did she? That's good to hear."

Appearing flustered over something, she said, "Well, Onmund, I…I'd better go now. Will I see you in class tomorrow?"

"Of course," he answered emphatically. "I'll be there." He then decided to ask, "Hey, is everything all right? You seem upset about something."

Something flickered in her eyes, but she quickly answered, "Yes, everything's all right. I will see you in class tomorrow."

"Have a good night then," he said.

"Good night," she replied and turned around, disappearing into her room.

_Just then, she looked as if she were ready to burst into tears,_ he observed, growing concerned. _What could be bothering her?_ He turned around, as well, and went out the door into the dark courtyard. As he walked to his room, he thought to himself, _I wish I could be there for her. I had said to her that I'd always be a friend to her, as well, after all._ But as he changed into his nightshift when he was in his room, he knew that it was impossible for him to be the friend that he wanted to be to her. And it pained him. He climbed into bed, hoping for another day full of distractions. He'd have plenty tomorrow as he had to continue to research a spell to recreate.

Sometime during the night, after he had been sleeping for he didn't know how long, he awoke to a presence in his room. He saw Danielle standing there, and she approached his bed. He was surprised to see her there, but before he could say anything, she immediately climbed on top of him and covered his mouth with hers, kissing him. Onmund closed his eyes, kissing her back, and placed his hand over the back of her head, feeling the shape of her neck. For some reason, there was no feeling of embarrassment on his part- no feeling at all save for a need to have her completely. He held onto her tightly, continuing to kiss her with fervor until she pulled away from him. He opened his eyes, and gasped when he saw Bridgette's, not Danielle's face, over him. Something also caught the corner of his eye and he looked up and saw Tolfdir standing in the doorway, looking at them.

With a start, Onmund sprang up to a sitting position on his bed, having awakened from the dream. His heart pounding loudly and his breath coming out in short gasps, he stared into his doorway, thinking that Tolfdir or someone was going to appear at any second. No one came, and he slowly began to calm down, trying to make sense of what he just dreamt about. He thought back to the feeling of being kissed and remembered enjoying it very much. _But I had enjoyed it when I thought it was Danielle kissing me, not Bridgette! _he knew. _What is wrong with me that I'd dream of such a thing?_

He joined the rest of his fellow Destruction students in class that morning, and Tolfdir began the session by talking about the assignment that he had given them the day before. He then asked each of them what they planned to recreate if they knew yet.

J'zargo answered the question by saying, "J'zargo is recreating a variant of the Flame Cloak spell. It will only work on undead creatures."

"Fascinating," Tolfdir remarked. "Yes, the full Flame Cloak spell that works on all creatures is _very_ difficult to recreate. Good on you for choosing a simplified version! And you, Brelyna?"

"I'm planning on recreating Oakflesh," Brelyna answered. "I'm still in the experimentation stages, though."

"That is fine," Tolfdir assured. "Experimentation is usually the most important stage when learning magic! How about you, Onmund, what will you be recreating?"

"I-I don't know yet," Onmund stammered, suddenly feeling like a total loser next to his two friends who seemed to be on top of things. "I'm still researching."

"Very well," Tolfdir sighed. "And how about you, Danielle?"

With a frown, Danielle admitted, "I haven't figured out what I will be recreating, either."

"All right," Tolfdir replied. "I understand you've been very busy. What exactly did Arniel discuss with you yesterday?"

As Tolfdir became distracted by the Arch-Mage's affairs, Onmund couldn't help but wonder if he was starting to lose his standing as Tolfdir's favorite student as of late. Before, during the Eye of Magnus fiasco, he remembered the professor constantly giving him words of praise and smiles of approval. There was no question that those were starting to taper off now, especially after he had taken on his secondary field of study. He was worried that such a thing was going to happen, and it seemed like they were.

Throughout the rest of the class period as Tolfdir practiced spells with them, he noticed that he was starting to be passed over with the praises and smiles and that they were going to Brelyna and J'zargo instead. With Danielle being the Arch-Mage, he was different towards her anyway, but Onmund felt like there was no reason for him to be treated differently just because he had started learning Restoration on the side. _Maybe it's true what Colette had said the first time I talked to her? Maybe Tolfdir really does have something against her and the School of Restoration._ However, he enjoyed learning both courses of study, and he didn't feel like giving any of them up. So he tried not to take it too much to heart and vowed to continue working hard at both at the same time.

After class, Onmund went with J'zargo back to the Hall of Attainment to eat lunch. As the two men crossed the courtyard, Onmund heard giggling off to his left. He turned his eyes to that direction and saw two young, female Novice mages standing in front the Hall of Countenance whispering to each other. One of the mages, an elf, had been looking at him and quickly looked away when he met her eyes, and the two girls erupted into a fit of giggles again. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, he sped up his pace towards the Hall of Attainment, causing J'zargo to rush to catch up with him. As soon as they stepped inside, he said to J'zargo, "What in Oblivion was that all about? Did you see those two girls?"

"J'zargo thinks they are the new Conjuration students," J'zargo replied as he followed Onmund over to the dining hall.

_Conjuration students?_ he wondered. _I wonder if those two were Bridgette's friends whom she had played cards with last night. I forgot their names. Why did it seem like they were whispering about us?_ In a lighthearted manner, he said to J'zargo, "Looks like you've got some admirers, Stunner!"

Lately, Onmund had taken to calling J'zargo "Stunner" not only after his skills with shock spells but also because he once bragged that he was very popular with the females in his hometown in Elsweyr. It had started as a joke but after a while, the nickname stuck. Conversely, J'zargo's nickname for him was "Striker" due to his skills with lightning spells.

"This one is not surprised," J'zargo responded glibly. "J'zargo knew he would have many admirers before long. But this one thinks they were talking about you, not J'zargo."

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Khajiit just knows these things," J'zargo replied. "Does it surprise Striker that he can have admirers, too?"

In an embarrassed manner, Onmund answered, "Well, no…never thought of the possibility."

"Take the Restoration Novice you are training, for instance," J'zargo began to explain. "What is her name again?"

"Bridgette?" Onmund questioned incredulously. "She…she's just a new friend of mine."

"Yes, but take it from the expert on such matters," J'zargo advised. "You are more than friend to her."

Onmund gave his buddy an indignant look. "J'zargo…no. I'm just being nice to her. If she's going to take it the wrong way, then she's-" Suddenly, he trailed off when he saw Brelyna staring at them from the doorway. He just looked back at her with a dumbfounded expression.

"Um, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Brelyna asked uncertainly.

Feeling flustered once again, Onmund began getting up from the table. "No. I was just leaving."

"Wait," she stopped him. "Before you go, I wanted to ask if either of you would be interested in helping me test out my Oakflesh spell. I think I've almost got it, but I just need to make a few adjustments."

"After you nearly burned this one's fur off last time?!" J'zargo said angrily. "J'zargo will pass!"

Rolling her eyes at the Khajiit's retort, she then looked at Onmund. "Please…I really need someone else to confirm that I've done it right."

Frozen with one leg already over the bench, Onmund felt trapped. With an inward sigh, he replied, "All right. I'll help you. I need to get back to the Arcaneum, though; I've still got a lot of work to do for my spell."

"It shouldn't take long, I promise," Brelyna said. "And I promise I won't burn you, either."

Onmund exchanged a look of uncertainty with J'zargo before following Brelyna out of the dining hall, out of the Hall of Attainment, and into the Hall of Elements. She then instructed him to stand in front of her and said, "I'm going to try casting the spell on you and then we'll see if it works."

"How are we going to know if it worked?" he asked.

At that, Brelyna proceeded to take a dagger out of her pocket and held it out in front of her. Immediately, Onmund's eyes went wide with fear and he cried, "Ohhh, no! You're not going to strike me with that thing, are you!?"

"It's the only way to make sure," she protested. "I promise not to swing hard. And I'll just strike at the thickest part of your robes. Let's see, that would probably be-"

"Forget it, Brelyna," he interrupted. "This is crazy. There's got to be another way."

With a sigh, she replied, "Then _I'll_ cast it on myself and you can try hitting _me_ with the dagger instead."

Onmund shook his head wildly. "No! I'm not doing that! Can't you…can't you possibly test it out on some inanimate object first?"

Letting out a heavier sigh, Brelyna replied, "I suppose I could. But spells can have drastically different effects on objects than they do on living things."

"I would think Oakflesh works the same on both," he said, hoping that she would be convinced.

"Well, all right. Here. Hold this book, then." She handed him the book that she had brought.

He held it up in front of him with both hands, and she asked, "Ready?" He nodded. She then proceeded to channel magicka into her hands and then cast the spell upon the book. The book momentarily glowed a bright green color and then returned to normal. "Think it worked?" she asked him when she finished her spell.

"I guess we'll find out…" he said, and stretched his arms out in front of him, still holding the book so that it was as far away from his body as possible since he knew what she was going to try next.

Holding the dagger in her hand, Brelyna took a step forward and swung it at the book. Onmund turned his face away, and he heard a loud _RIP!_ as the blade tore through the middle of the entire book and the pages exploded out of his hands.

There was a great mess now on the floor between them, and Brelyna sheepishly muttered, "Oops. Guess it didn't work."

Sighing, Onmund bent down to help her pick up the pieces of the pages and the cover, saying, "I'm glad we tried it on the book first! Although, this wasn't one of Urag's books, was it?"

"No," she answered, gathering up the torn pages. "It was mine from home. I just don't understand. What could I be missing?"

"Well, I hope you figure it out," he said to her. "But at least you're farther along than even I am. I haven't even _figured out_ what spell I'm going to recreate!"

"Well, good luck finding one," she sighed. "I can clean the rest of this up. You go ahead."

"No, I'll help you," he insisted.

They continued to clean up the torn-up book pieces from the floor in silence. When they had gathered everything up, Onmund handed her the pieces and she thanked him. Just as he was about to leave, she asked, "So…Onmund? Are you…dating that girl, Bridgette?"

At this, Onmund reddened and responded loudly, "No!" Immediately embarrassed, he lowered his voice and repeated, "No. What gave you that idea?"

"I was just making sure," she replied. "I've been hearing rumors about you from some of the younger mages. But I think they're just spreading lies."

"Rumors?" he asked. "Where did you hear this from?"

"Like I said, I overhead some of the new students saying stuff about you," she explained. "They might've been Bridgette's friends. I don't know what she might be telling them, but they all seemed like lies."

"What did they say?" he questioned, getting worried.

"Something about seeing you and Bridgette kissing. It's really ridiculous!"

"What?!" He then immediately thought back to the moment when Colette had seen him holding Bridgette in his arms in the tent when they were on Mount Anthor. The way that Onmund had jumped back made it looked like they were doing something bad when they really weren't. _Oh, great. Just what I needed…to get caught up in some false rumors. I wonder if Danielle has heard them, too,_ he wondered. _That would…explain her strange behavior last night when we were talking about Bridgette. Oh, man, I hope she hasn't heard any of it. She's going to think that I…fancy Bridgette or something. Which is totally not true! She _was the prime object of his affection, not Bridgette!

"If they say something again, I'll talk to them," Brelyna offered. "I'll tell them none of that is true. I know you and Bridgette are just friends."

Onmund looked at her soberly. While not as close of a friend as Danielle and J'zargo were to him, Brelyna was still a good ally to have. It was true that he was under-appreciative of her prying into his business, especially when it involved Danielle, because she had once embarrassed him with her accusations of having a crush on her, but right now, he needed Brelyna's help more than anything. _Please let Danielle know that those rumors are not true,_ he wanted to say. But instead, he said, "Thanks, Brelyna. I appreciate you sticking up for me."

"Anytime," she replied, and he left her to go about his business in the Arcaneum.

* * *

_I've never thought of that before- Onmund's parents being proud of him for being a dragonslayer! That is a cool observation! I'm glad to hear that I'm effectively conveying Onmund's flaws and downfalls, and he won't be seen as just Mr. Perfect Wonderful Mage/Scholar. I can guarantee that he'll make plenty more mistakes before things become right, but rest assured, things WILL get right!_


	24. Not Your Typical Nord

As he ascended the stairs into the library, he knew that he was going to have to face Bridgette again soon that evening for their study session together. He started to wonder if agreeing to be her study partner was such a good idea. _It certainly doesn't help my case in dispelling those rumors if I'm always seen with her!_ he knew. But what was he supposed to do? Bridgette was a nice person. He didn't want to hurt her feelings.

Onmund browsed the bookshelves and picked out some spell catalogues to read through for Tolfdir's assignment and took it to his usual table. He was surprised to see Bridgette sitting there already. It was too early. "Uh, hi, Bridgette!" he said to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just reading," she answered. "Thought I'd come here since my living quarters get so noisy during this time of day. The Hall of Countenance is so full that there are some rooms with two students sharing a bed."

"Oh, I see," he replied.

"Want to sit with me?" she offered.

_Actually, I would rather study alone, since I've got a lot of concentrating to do,_ he wanted to say. He then thought back to what Brelyna had said about the rumors between him and her and he blushed furiously.

Noticing this, she smiled and remarked flirtatiously, "Don't worry. I'll behave."

Feeling even more embarrassed, he said, "It's not that! It's just…" _What is wrong with me?_ he asked himself. _Why do I suddenly have to get so weird around her?_

Bridgette giggled, and Onmund was irreversibly mortified. "Just let me get my books," he said tersely and walked over to Urag. He picked up a subset of the books that he had borrowed the night before and reluctantly joined Bridgette at the table.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Are you normally this shy around women?"

"No," he simply answered, not enthusiastic about entering this conversation.

After a brief silence as Onmund opened up one of the books and started reading, Bridgette asked him, "Why don't you take your hood off? Aren't you hot?"

Annoyed, he reached up and pulled his hood down to his shoulders and said, "There. You happy now?"

Bridgette frowned, appearing a little hurt, and looked back down at her book.

Feeling bad, he said in a gentler tone, "I'm sorry. I've just been stressed out lately."

Mustering a smile, she looked back at him and said, "I guess I can be pretty forceful at times. You have such nice eyes, though; why do you hide them under your hood?"

Onmund had to admit, her statement flattered him. Trying not to get embarrassed again, he said, "Thank you. I, uh, appreciate that. And…I don't know. Sometimes I just forget to take it off."

She finally gave him a full-blown smile and asked him, "So you still working on that spell recreation assignment of yours?"

He nodded. "If I could just find a spell that seems interesting yet not too hard to recreate. It just seems like a lot of these Destruction spells take a lot of time and work to do."

"What about a Restoration spell, like Ward or Healing?" she suggested.

"Hmm, that's an idea." He started flipping through the book to find Lesser Ward. As he started reading through it, he said, "Nahh. Ward is too hard. It would take more than a week to recreate this one. Let's see what Healing would take." He flipped through some more pages and found Healing. After reading through it, he found it not to be nearly as involved as Lesser Ward. "Hmm, Healing doesn't seem so bad. I think I could do this one!"

"Yay, you found one," Bridgette declared, smiling.

"Thanks for the suggestion," Onmund said, smiling back.

"If you need any help, such as needing someone to practice on, let me know," she offered. "I promise I won't ask you to hold me again."

At this, Onmund reddened.

"When I look back on it, I know that was inappropriate of me," she admitted. "I think Colette got the wrong idea when she saw us."

"I, uh…think she did, too," was all he could say.

She paused for a second, appearing deep in thought. She then asked him, "So tell me more about this special lady friend of yours. The one who gave you that pretty stone."

Onmund could see that there was no getting out of this conversation, so he responded, "Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Does she live far away from here?" she asked.

He knew that he had to be cautious about how he answered her questions. He really didn't want to reveal the identity of his "special lady friend" to her lest the word get out to the whole College. He answered to her, "No."

"Do you talk to her often?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Well, you're a man of few words," she remarked. "Tell me what she looks like."

Onmund gulped. Hiding her identity wasn't going to be so easy. "Well…she, uh, has black hair…um, dark-colored eyes, ummm…that's about it."

"You make a terrible poet," she laughed. "What is she? A Nord? Imperial?"

"A Breton," he answered.

"Ah," she responded. "Is she pretty?"

He nodded. "She's beautiful."

"Hmmm. So why _isn't_ she your girlfriend, may I ask?"

Onmund had to admit, that was a good question. If only he could tell her the whole story- how she was the Arch-Mage and that faculty and students couldn't date each other. But he simply responded, "She doesn't know."

"She doesn't know what?"

"About how I feel about her."

"Are you serious?"

He nodded.

She just looked at him incredulously for a full second before declaring, "Well, that needs to change!"

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean. You need to tell her how you feel."

"It's…kind of complicated, though."

Bridgette shook her head in disgust. "No, it's not. Come on! I thought Nord men were supposed to be aggressive- at least the ones that I've met."

"I'm not your typical Nord man, remember?"

"Psh," she retorted, getting exasperated. "You're hopeless."

Onmund just gave a shrug, hoping that she'd drop the subject. She subsequently did, much to his relief. _She would be shocked if she found out that I was in love with the Arch-Mage, _he thought. _I can't let _anyone_ know!_

He then reminded himself that he had some work to get to. He got up and took his books back to Urag. He then took his leave from Bridgette and went back to his room to eat lunch, feeling much better now that he had an idea about what he was going to do for his assignment- thanks to her.

After he finished eating, he saw J'zargo come in and he went up to go greet him in his room. "Hey there, J'zargo, I just missed you for lunch."

The Khajiit grunted as he hurried about, appearing distracted.

"I just wanted to tell you that I think I found a spell to-" Just then, he noticed that J'zargo was putting a bunch of stuff into his satchel. "Hey, are you going somewhere?"

"J'zargo is going with Danielle on a trip to Morthal for some training," he answered in a huff.

"With Danielle?" he questioned. "Why you two?"

Just then, the door outside opened and Danielle stepped inside. "I'm ready to go, J'zargo!" she declared. Then, she saw Onmund. "Oh, hi, Onmund! How are you?"

Onmund turned to Danielle and asked him, "So you two are going to Morthal together?"

"Yes," she answered. "We'll probably be back tomorrow."

"I don't understand," he said. "Why just you two?"

With her mouth set, she pulled him towards her and whispered, "Tolfdir asked me to take him out for some field training. He is…sort of struggling with this one spell."

"J'zargo is not struggling!" J'zargo protested. "He was tired this morning and not paying attention."

Giving Onmund an "oops" look, she directed him away from J'zargo and continued in a whisper, "It's not unique to J'zargo. I've had to take Brelyna out on a few occasions already. She struggles the most."

Realizing what she meant now, he whispered back, "Oh…you mean _remedial_ training?"

She nodded. "This is the first time J'zargo has been slapped with this," she explained. "He doesn't seem too happy about it. This is going to be an interesting trip."

Onmund snorted and joked, "Maybe I'll be next."

Danielle laughed and said to him, "Don't be silly. You don't need remedial training. You are doing very well."

Their conversation then came to an abrupt end when J'zargo approached them. "J'zargo is ready to go, Arch-Mage. This one will prove to you that he is not struggling one bit!"

With a chuckle, Danielle said, "Okay, J'zargo, I believe you. Let's just get this over with okay? See you later, Onmund."

"See ya," he said to both of them and watched them go out the door. He then went back to his room and continued studying. But something was distracting him at the moment. He began to think about Bridgette's words about needing to be more aggressive. He _had_ been longing to spend quality one-on-one time with Danielle. And now he had found out exactly how he could go about doing that. And that was to get slapped with one of these remedial training sessions with her. _But in order to do that, I'd have to show her that I'm struggling with something, _he realized. _I'm not really struggling with anything right now. Danielle said that I was doing very well. No, I'll have to do something else, like be less than a good student on purpose._ Suddenly, he felt very sleazy for thinking of such a thing. _I can't do that! That goes against everything I am! But…if I can just get a moment alone with Danielle…_If he was going to pull it off, he knew that he had to be very subtle about it. He couldn't just become a delinquent overnight and hope to get Tolfdir's attention that way. As he pondered over the matter some more, he came up with a few ideas, and decided that he would start putting them into action soon.

For the next several days, Onmund executed his subtle plan. He strolled into Tolfdir's class five minutes late on purpose one day, pretended to run out of magicka prematurely during one of their training sessions, and even at one point claimed that he forgot how to dual-cast. This didn't seem to be enough, though. Tolfdir didn't appear to take notice and he wasn't sent off to do remedial training with Danielle like he hoped he would be. He continued to be on his best behavior, though, with Colette and Bridgette in _their_ classes. The two women absolutely loved having him around and when Colette had found out that he had chosen to recreate Healing for his assignment with Tolfdir, she was even more ecstatic. She offered to help Onmund with it and he gladly welcomed it.

Finally, the day came to present everyone's spell recreations to Tolfdir. The Destruction professor started the class by acknowledging everyone's hard work and how excited he was to see everyone's results.

J'zargo went first. He cast his Flame Cloak spell. He couldn't _fully_ demonstrate it without any undead creatures around but the flames that engulfed him were enough to convince them that the spell worked. Suddenly, the Khajiit started screaming. "Aiiieee! I'm burning!"

Tolfdir jumped in and cast Frostbite on him, immediately putting the fire out.

J'zargo breathed a sigh of relief, but then gave everyone a sheepish look. "That wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered.

"You may have missed a step in your tuning of the spell," he pointed out. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, J'zargo is all right," he sighed.

"Please take the time to refine the spell and I'll give you a chance to try it again," Tolfdir explained. "Brelyna, you're next."

"All right," Brelyna said. "I've been having a hard time getting this right. I spent all night last night fine-tuning this spell, but it still has its flaws. I hope-"

"Just demonstrate what you've done so far," Tolfdir interrupted her.

"Okay, sorry," she apologized. "Danielle agreed to be my test subject for this. Here goes…" She aimed her hand at Danielle, who stood next to her, and cast her spell. Danielle began to glow a purplish color. When the glow wore off, though, her skin remained purple! Everyone gasped.

"Hey, what happened?" Brelyna questioned as Danielle looked at her and frowned, shaking her head.

"You channeled a little too much violet energy," Tolfdir explained simply.

"I'm sorry, Danielle," she apologized to her friend. "I'll change you back now."

"Ah!" Tolfdir cried out, stopping her. "I'll take care of this." He then cast something on Danielle which made her return to normal.

"Thank you, Tolfdir," Danielle said. "Sorry, Brelyna. You had it working last night!"

"Well, as I told J'zargo, I will give you another chance to try it again," Tolfdir said. "I won't record your grade for this assignment until after the second attempt."

Brelyna nodded slowly, aware that she hadn't done so well.

"All right, Onmund, let's see your spell," the professor said.

"I've decided to recreate Healing," Onmund explained, stepping forward.

"Oh, interesting," Tolfdir commented. "Did you come up with that on your own or did Colette suggest it to you?"

Sensing a hint of snideness in his tone, Onmund replied evenly, "I, uh, came up with it on my own." He wondered, though, if he didn't just outright lie. It was actually Bridgette's idea in the first place and Colette _did_ help him perfect it. "So first, I'm going to cast Frostbite on my hand. Then, I'll heal it." He then held his left hand out in front of him and with his right hand, cast Frostbite onto it, immediately freezing it solid. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, so he immediately channeled his recreated Healing spell in his right hand and cast it on his frozen hand. He winced as it thawed out and then was completely healed.

"Wow," Brelyna declared, and everyone including her applauded.

"Excellent," Tolfdir admitted. "You recreated that spell perfectly. I give that a pass."

Onmund beamed, relieved to have passed his first test of the day. _But wait,_ he realized. _That means I won't have a chance to train with Danielle if I…continue to do well._ He then watched as Danielle went up to demonstrate her spell recreation. She walked up to one of the absorption points and cast Sparks on it. It was just as good as his Sparks spell.

"Very good!" Tolfdir complimented. "You pass, too."

They then moved on to the next portion of their class, which was to do their Destruction test. "Each of you is going to cast the runes that you learned last week on the floor here, and I will conjure live targets to walk onto your runes. If you cast them correctly, the target should be destroyed upon stepping on it. Everyone stand in a line, arm's length apart, and face me."

Everyone obeyed and Onmund stood between Danielle and J'zargo with enough space between them.

"Now each of you has five seconds to cast your runes. On the count of three, begin casting," Tolfdir instructed.

_I know the Lightning Rune spell very well,_ Onmund knew. _But if I mess up, perhaps Tolfdir will send me off to do remedial training with Danielle. Is it worth it?_ He looked over at Danielle on his right and thought to himself, _I sure miss all of the adventures we used to go on together. She's worth the world to me._

Tolfdir began counting, "One. Two. Three!"

Right away, everyone channeled their magicka and cast their rune spells on the floor in front of them. Onmund purposefully left out an important part of the incantation and cast his rune on the floor. It looked just like a working rune, but he knew better.

"Time's up!" Tolfdir shouted, and everyone stopped.

There were four runes now on the floor, one in front of each mage, and Tolfdir instructed them to step aside as now came the part to test them out. He proceeded to conjure a thrall and everyone watched as the thrall walked towards Brelyna's Fire Rune. When it stepped over it, the thrall exploded into flames and disintegrated.

"Yes!" Brelyna cheered.

Tolfdir then cast another thrall and sent it walking towards J'zargo's Lightning Rune. When it stepped over the rune, it erupted in a ball of electricity and disintegrated.

"Ha ha!" J'zargo celebrated. "It worked!"

Everyone then continued to watch as Tolfdir cast another thrall and this one went towards Onmund's Lightning Rune. Onmund held his breath nervously as it stepped onto his rune. He then let it out and the rest of them gasped when the thrall walked right over his rune without taking any damage.

"Onmund, you knew that spell," Tolfdir proclaimed, giving him a puzzled look. "What happened?"

With a shrug, Onmund replied, "I don't know. Did I miss something in the spell?"

Tolfdir sighed. "Please take a look at the incantations again when you have the chance. There was a key part you must've missed in it." He then turned back towards the wandering thrall and cast a spell towards it to make it walk towards Danielle's Fire Rune. It walked over it and exploded into flames, disintegrating.

Danielle smiled, and Tolfdir said, "Good work, everyone! Brelyna, J'zargo, and Danielle, you have passed the test. Class is dismissed. Onmund, I'd like to have a word with you. Danielle, you stay, too."

J'zargo and Brelyna left the training hall, leaving Tolfdir, Onmund, and Danielle alone. Tolfdir turned to Onmund and said to him, "Onmund, I'm surprised. I saw you master that spell before everyone else when we had first learned it. Can you tell me why you had forgotten such a key part of the spell?"

"I don't know," Onmund shrugged. "I guess I've just been…stressed out lately."

With another sigh, Tolfdir asked, "Has Colette been overburdening you with her work? I thought I told her not to let you fall behind in your-"

"Colette has nothing to do with it," he interrupted. "I guess, I, uh, I've just been homesick lately. Been thinking about home a lot."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Danielle give him a weird look, as Tolfdir said, "Well, I understand, Onmund, but you need to keep your focus." He then turned to Danielle and asked her, "Will you take Onmund with you on your next errand for Arniel? Have him practice his runes while you're out there."

Onmund tried to hide the smile that was threatening to form on his face as Tolfdir said this. _Finally! I'll be getting a moment alone with Danielle, now!_ He saw Danielle nod and reply, "Yes, Tolfdir. I will take him out with me immediately."

"Ah, good," Tolfdir responded. "I understand that it will take more than a day, so you are both excused from class tomorrow morning. But practice those runes!"

* * *

_The College of Winterhold IS a lot like high school or college! Where else in Skyrim can a bunch of young people learn and live together and have dramas? But there must be some pretty "unique" things going on over there. Something that has always disturbed me are the open bedrooms in the Hall of Attainment/Countenance, and they're all coed, too. How does anyone get any privacy? I'm assuming everyone's wardrobes are tall enough that you can change behind the doors but it still doesn't prevent someone from just walking in on you if they wanted to. And I don't even want to think about the shenanigans that go on with the Conjuration and Illusion students and their ability to conjure thralls and make themselves invisible! Even though I don't mention this in the story, I'm sure Onmund has glanced over into Danielle's (and maybe even Brelyna's) room once or twice already to see if he could catch her changing!_


	25. Remedial Training

Onmund followed Danielle out into the courtyard. "Well, I guess I'll be taking you out for some remedial training," she sighed.

"Where are we going?" he asked her.

"Well, Arniel has asked me to collect some Dwemer artifacts for him," she explained. "I've already gone to Mzulft with Brelyna, and I took J'zargo to…whatever the ruin is called near Dawnstar. Today, I was planning on going to the large one near Windhelm. The name of it starts with an 'I.'"

"Irkngthand?" he volunteered.

"Yes, that one," she replied.

He chuckled, and was about to tease her about her struggles with Dwemer pronunciations, but she ignored his laughter and said, "Go get your things. Meet back here in ten minutes."

A little hurt by her business-like tone, he retreated to his room to pack up his things. He got done quickly and when he went back outside, Danielle wasn't there yet.

"Hi, Onmund," he heard a voice behind him call out.

He turned around and saw Bridgette heading towards him. "Oh, hi, Bridgette," he replied.

"What are you doing just standing around?" she asked.

"I'm, uh, just waiting for Danielle," he answered. "We're going out on a field trip."

"Oh. Just the two of you?" she questioned.

"Yeah. I, uh, kinda got slapped with remedial training so the Arch-Mage is helping me practice my spells out on the field."

"Remedial training, huh? I thought you were good at magic."

"I usually am. But I kinda goofed up on Tolfdir's test."

Crossing her arms and raising one eyebrow with curiosity, she retorted, "You? Goofing up on a test? Come on, Nord boy. Don't make me lose my faith in you."

Onmund chuckled sheepishly and shrugged, not knowing what to say to that.

Just then, Danielle approached them.

"Arch-Mage Sweeting!" Bridgette exclaimed.

"Hi, Bridgette," she greeted the young Restoration mage. Onmund noticed that there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes as she looked at her. She then looked at Onmund. "Ready to get going?"

"Yes, I'm ready," he responded.

"I'll see you later, Onmund," Bridgette said to him.

"See you tomorrow," he replied back.

"Tomorrow?" she questioned in a surprised tone.

"Tell Colette I'll be back tomorrow!" he said.

"We'll miss you," she said in a sugary tone, which made Onmund uncomfortable, especially with Danielle there. She then waved them off and walked off.

As Onmund and Danielle went out of the front gates and started crossing the bridge, Danielle remarked to him, "Bridgette seems rather attached to you."

"Oh, yeah…um, she's really nice to me," he replied. "She was actually the one who had suggested that I try recreating the Healing spell."

"Oh, really?" Danielle asked.

She said nothing more, and Onmund could sense that she was getting uncomfortable again. _Why does she seem to always get like that when the subject of Bridgette comes up? Is she possibly…jealous?_ Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing. They walked through the town of Winterhold in silence, and it wasn't until they got out into the open road that Onmund decided to bring up a subject sure to conjure up more positive feelings for the both of them. "This reminds me of all of those adventures we went on together, don't you think?"

Mustering a smile, Danielle nodded. "It does. The last time you and I went this way, we were going to Mzulft, remember?"

"I remember," he responded. "Those were good times."

As he and Danielle spent the next several minutes reminiscing about their old adventures together, he could sense the old feelings return again. He could also sense her loosening up and no longer appearing uncomfortable like she had been with him lately. It made his heart swell with happiness and warmth to be by her side again, and it was as if nothing had changed. Their steps on the road synced up with one another and they had established their familiar, comfortable rapport about different subjects. This time, she told him all about the work and stress associated with being Arch-Mage and he told her about what he had learned about Restoration magic.

At one point, they got onto the subject of Tolfdir's test and Danielle said to him, "So, tell me, you said that you were getting homesick as of late?"

"Oh, uhh…yeah," he responded. He had completely forgotten about his bumbling excuse to Tolfdir earlier on why he had failed the test. "I guess I've been missing home, yeah. There've just been…a lot of things on my mind."

"Have you been in contact with your family?" she asked him.

"No," he answered. "Well, I mean…I wrote them a letter a while back but they never responded."

"Really?" she questioned. "That's strange. I would think that they are worried about you. And especially would like to know that you are safe and well."

"Perhaps," he shrugged. "Maybe they're just glad that I'm out of their hair."

"Oh, don't say that!"

He said nothing more. He wasn't too keen on dwelling upon the subject of his family any longer. So after a few moments of silence, he said to her, "I guess I'd better practice my runes, huh? Want me to try casting one now?"

"I have nothing to test it with," she replied. "I can't conjure thralls like Tolfdir can. Besides, I saw you do that Lightning Rune perfectly many times. I don't understand how you couldn't do it in front of Tolfdir."

_I wish she wouldn't bring that up again,_ he thought nervously. _She can't know the truth._ "I guess I just got distracted or something," he shrugged. "Maybe I, uh, got it confused with one of the Restoration spells I was learning."

With a frown, she said to him, "That isn't like you, Onmund."

"Hey, I can't be perfect _all_ the time," he said.

She looked at him with a puzzled look. "What…is with you?" she demanded.

"What do you mean what's _with_ me?" he questioned.

"You never used to talk that way," she asserted.

"What? Are you saying that I _should_ be perfect all the time then?" he asked, starting to feel an argument coming on.

"No," she replied defensively. "But it's as if…you aren't even trying anymore."

Ignoring a sense of guilt, he tried to give her a surprised and hurt look that was convincing. "What gave you _that_ idea?"

"I don't know. But I've noticed you've been spending more of your time training with Colette and Bridgette than you are with us."

"Well, it just so happens that I _like_ Colette and Bridgette!" he declared, a little annoyed that she had to bring them up.

"That's not what I'm talking about," she said firmly. "Maybe…you should just focus on one school of study for now."

Onmund now felt his frustration rise. "Is that your sage advice, Arch-Mage?" he snapped.

Taken aback by his snide tone, she said defensively, "I'm just trying to help you."

"I don't need any help," he proclaimed, folding his arms. "I can handle both schools just fine. Come on, I failed _one_ test."

"It isn't just the test…You've been coming to class late. You've been struggling with your Destruction spells. And you seem tired all the time. Maybe you can't see it, but _I_ can see that it's taking a toll on you."

Onmund sighed. It was true that he _had_ been struggling to stay awake for the past several days with all of his studying and work. And it was true that he wasn't being as good of a student that he was capable of being, but she really didn't need to know the real reason why. Instead, he just said, "Well, thanks for your _concern_. But I'm fine. Really."

At this, Danielle dropped the subject and they continued walking. But for some reason, now that Onmund was all riled up over the matter, all of the things that had been bothering him started boiling to the surface. He looked at Danielle and said to her, "You know, at one time you used to believe in me."

She gave him a puzzled look. "What is that supposed to mean? I still believe in you."

"But I'm trying to pick up different skills and be good at more than one thing. I thought that you, of all people, would've been happy about that, especially about me learning Restoration magic. And I'm also passing on my Destruction knowledge to a Novice mage."

"I _am_ happy that you are trying to challenge yourself," she protested. "And that you are interested in Restoration. I just…don't want you to burn yourself out or get in trouble."

"Why would I get in trouble?" he argued. "Tolfdir gave his approval for me to take this on. I'm not breaking any rules!"

"You know, that's something else that bothered me. Colette didn't even tell me about you taking on a secondary. She knew that I _and_ Tolfdir were in charge of the Destruction students but she only talked to him about everything."

"So do you have something against Colette then?" he questioned, getting exasperated. "Maybe you're jealous of her or something because she's a Master in Restoration?"

This time, Danielle really looked stricken, and Onmund felt like an ass for blurting out such an accusation. But it was too late. She gave him an angry look and replied in a low voice, "I don't have _anything_ against Colette. Onmund, I just don't want you to get in trouble. I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but Tolfdir has been telling me to keep an eye on you. I didn't want to tell you until Tolfdir could have a chance to talk to you himself, but he has real concerns about your…your devotion to your studies."

"He does?" Onmund asked, alarmed.

"Yes," she answered hotly. "Do you know about the rumors going around about you?"

"What rumors?" he questioned, worried that he already knew the answer.

"The rumors about you and Bridgette," she said quietly.

Onmund gulped. "Who told you that?"

"_Everybody's_ told me about it at least once!" she answered. "Tolfdir has heard it, too. He's under the impression that you're too busy chasing women to care about your studies anymore."

"That's ridiculous!" he cried. _Just what I needed,_ he thought bitterly. He knew rumors like that would ruin his standing with Danielle, but he didn't necessarily think that those same rumors were ruining his standing with the teachers at the College. He asked, "You don't believe those rumors, do you?"

Danielle looked like she was about to respond, but instead she remained silent. Growing worried, he asked again, "Do you?"

Looking up at him, she shook her head. "No. I know you. You're not like that."

Breathing a sigh of relief, he said, "Good. I'm glad you believe me."

"It's Tolfdir whom you need to convince, though," she said.

"Well, you talk to him all the time," he pointed out. "Why don't you defend me?"

"I _do_ defend you," she replied impatiently. "I tell him how hard-working and dedicated you are as a student. I try to tell him that you have a good standing and reputation at the College. But…lately, because of things like this, it's getting harder and harder for me to convince him. Don't you see, Onmund? Consider the message you're sending!"

"I'm not sending any messages!" he protested.

With a heavy sigh, she shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Let's just go find those cogs."

Feeling defeated, Onmund had no choice but to drop the subject and follow Danielle the rest of the way to Irkngthand. As they climbed the mountain to the ruin, Onmund tried to look at things through her eyes. He had to admit, things _did_ look bad as far as his dedication to the Destruction school went. But only because he had started to make it that way on purpose in order to go on this trip with her. He thought about telling her, but then decided against it. She would think him insane for doing such a thing and hate him for it. As much as he wanted to be with her, deep down he knew that it probably wasn't worth it to sacrifice all that he had worked for just to spend extra time with her. _I've made a mistake,_ he realized. _And now I've got to make things right._ _In order to make things right, I'm going to have to work hard at being the best Destruction student all over again and gain back Tolfdir's favor. But it's more than just working hard. Danielle just gave me the whole story herself. Somehow, I'm sending the wrong message to everyone and now my dedication is being questioned._ It wasn't necessarily Bridgette's fault that the rumors about him and her had started. Then again, she _had_ been instrumental in fueling those rumors in the first place. He remembered that awkward moment in the tent with her on Mount Anthor when he tried to keep her warm in his arms, and he remembered all those times when she was being very flirty with him. _I can see how people would get the wrong idea about us, _he realized. _Then take one sensationalized story like the one I had heard from Brelyna about us kissing and before long, everyone's going to believe a lie. I can't let this go on._ Deep down, he knew that his heart belonged to Danielle. And if he let these false rumors continue and evolve, he knew that she was going to be hurt by them. Not only that, he could risk ruining his entire College career. He wished that he could tell her all these things, but knowing that he couldn't, he was just going to have to do something about the situation himself.

But for now, he concentrated on the task at hand and that was to help Danielle find some Dwemer Cogs in the ancient ruins. As they approached the towering city of Irkngthand, they encountered some hostile bandits. They both employed their usual fighting tactics to take them down, and they began making their way upwards to the higher part of the ruin, climbing rickety wooden stairs and gingerly stepping across narrow wooden bridges to get to the door near the top.

Once they were inside, Danielle spoke the most words to him that she had spoken since their argument, "Want me to cast Oakflesh on both of us? We might encounter those automatons again."

"Okay," he replied, and let her perform her spell first on herself and then on him.

Despite this friendly gesture, her demeanor towards him had completely changed. Just as recently as a few hours ago, she was talking and laughing with him as they reminisced about their past adventures together, and then when she brought up the subject about the rumors and they had their argument, things were different between them. It wasn't as if she was hostile to him or anything, but he didn't like the way she talked to him nonetheless; it was very professional and business-like, lacking the warmth and humor that he was used to from her. But there was nothing he could do about it. As their search for the Dwemer Cogs commenced within the ruin, the rift that had formed between them was beginning to tear him up inside. He didn't know what to do.

They encountered some spider and spherical automatons and they fought them off like they had done in Mzulft, but the feeling between them wasn't the same. At this moment, more than anything, Onmund wished that they could go back to the way things used to be, when they had gotten along so well and meshed together as a duo.

He helped her collect a bunch of cogs together and when she said that they had collected enough, they made their way out of the ruin back outside. By now, it was already dark, and it was time to head back to the College- but not before having some Stamina potions first so that they could get through the journey.

After downing some, Onmund and Danielle headed back north with the cogs in hand. Things had been strained between them ever since that early afternoon and he didn't know what he could do to alleviate the situation. At one point, he decided to tell her the truth. "Danielle, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked.

"I failed that test on purpose," he confessed.

"What?" she asked, stopping in her tracks to look up at him.

"Tolfdir's test earlier today," he explained. "I failed it on purpose."

Danielle looked astonished. "Why…in Oblivion would you do that?"

"Because I knew that I would get remedial training from you," he declared. "And we could go out on an adventure together like we used to. And we did. But now you're mad at me so it was all for nothing, anyway."

Totally shocked, she shook her head. "Onmund…you didn't have to do that." She then looked down at the ground as she confessed, "I miss our past adventures together, too, but…"

"But?" he questioned.

"You shouldn't have done that," she repeated to him. "Please don't do that, again."

_That's it? That's all you have to say to me?_ he wanted to ask her. He felt his spirits dip once again. "You're going to tell on me now, aren't you?" he asked in an accusatory manner, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Now that you're in with Tolfdir and all the rest of the faculty members, you're no longer on _my_ side."

Now, she looked enraged. Shaking her head defiantly, she asked angrily, "What ever gave you that idea? As Arch-Mage, I serve and protect the interests of the College of Winterhold, yes. But as your friend, I protected _you_. But now I must say, that as your friend, your behavior towards me is _inexcusable_." Taking a deep breath, she then continued, "No. I won't tell anyone about this. But please, do not do it again."

Feeling like he had been slapped in the face, he said, "Fine. I won't do it again. But only because this time spent with you was wasted. I guess I can't expect things to be like they used to, anymore."

They then left it at that. Danielle appeared hurt by his last words, but she had no response to them. Onmund was very aware that things between them had permanently changed, and now there was no going back. And deep down, he thought that Danielle knew it, as well. They walked back to the College in silence, and once they reached the gates, she simply said to him, "Goodbye, Onmund," and then walked off.

Despite feeling defiant the entire time, as he now watched her retreating back, he now felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and he felt something break within him. He sauntered back to his room and fell into bed, ready for a long nap. Never before had he felt so _horrible_. He thought about how things between him and Danielle went during their trip together and the words that were said to one another and he thought, _I never would've imagined that it would end like this. My friend- my best friend…gone. She was everything to me._ He thought back to the time when she had presented him with his grandfather's amulet. She had literally gone to the ends of Skyrim to get it back for him and he was so grateful. He had found something more precious than gold or malachite, and it was her friendship. He remembered all of times that they studied together in the Arcaneum, the meals that they had shared together at inns, and overall how well they had gotten along in just about every moment. They divulged everything about their lives and their hopes and dreams to one another and had gotten so close. And now after some careless words were spoken, all that was gone for good. He had never felt this angry and down at himself since the day that he had left his parents on a bad note. _And like that day,_ he thought with bitterness, _there is no turning back now. What was said cannot be unsaid. What was done cannot be undone._ It was just before dawn, and everyone else began to wake up for the first time that day. Onmund and Danielle were excused from Tolfdir's class that morning with the understanding that they were going to be away for his remedial training, so he just lay there miserably until sleep overtook him.

He then had the strangest, most vivid dream he had ever had in a long time. He was in his old village in Falkreath, and Danielle was with him for some reason. He remembered being so happy and excited to have her there. He showed her around the village and pointed out the various places from his childhood- the front of the street where traveling merchants would come and sell exotic things from all over Tamriel, the general store where he bought his books from, and finally, the house that he grew up in. She listened as he told her various stories of his past, feeling warm and nostalgic as he related everything to her. Then, it started to rain, so he led her into his old house to keep from getting wet. The house was a modest little cabin with a medium-sized fireplace on the wall opposite the door. He saw that she was cold, so he gestured toward the fireplace and she sat on the floor in front of it, trying to keep warm. He sat next to her and to Onmund's surprise, she scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, nestling her head against his chest. Her body felt warm and her hair felt so soft against the bottom of his chin, and he reached out and wrapped his arm around her, holding her against him. He felt the urge to protect her- this small, fragile thing.

Just then, she began kissing the spot on the top part of his chest that wasn't covered by his shirt, and the feel of her soft lips on his skin was a brand new feeling to him. It sent shivers up his spine and he felt the blood rush to his face as he held her close to him. She traced kisses up his chest, and as she went up along his neck, he let out an involuntary sigh, as the feeling was electrifying. As he bent his head down to meet her lips with his, he felt her push him backwards and he fell onto his back on the hard, wood floor. She then began devouring him with more kisses, and Onmund could sense that he was coming onto the brink of all he could take…

His eyes flew open as he awoke abruptly from the dream. He glanced all around him at the cold walls of his room at the College, the images and sensations from the dream still fresh upon his mind. He began to feel embarrassed again, having dreamt of such a vivid and racy encounter, but he knew better than to think that his mind was simply playing tricks on him. There was real enjoyment and satisfaction to be derived from what he had dreamt about, and that was because Danielle was there with him, and they were happy together like they had once been. This made yesterday's events all the more painful to recall as the memory of it flooded back to him. As he lay there in bed, he put his hands on his head, trying to think. _Ugh, is there _any_ way I can make things right between us again? Any way at all?_ Various wild ideas came to him, but none of them seemed like good ones. Finally, he decided on one of them, and that was basically to find her and have a talk with her. But before he went and did that, there was another somewhat important matter to take care of.

* * *

_I know how it is to fight with this website. Sometimes I wonder where my chapters go right after I upload them, for example _ As you can see, Danielle is definitely not happy about Onmund's scheme, at all. But things will get better, I promise. I could wonder all day how students manage to stay out of trouble in such close quarters with each other and the ability to set each other on fire and do all kinds of other harm. I wonder if the authorities there at the College have the ability to "confiscate" your magicka if you behave really badly, although I don't know how that would work or even if it's possible._


	26. In Between the Wrong and the Right

He climbed out of bed and groomed himself for the day. Then, stepping outside into the courtyard, he walked across it straight into the Hall of Countenance. He then climbed up the staircase to the second floor and found Colette in her room. Walking up to her doorway, he said to her, "Colette, may I speak with you?"

Colette looked up from the book she was reading and smiled when she saw him. "Of course, Onmund! Come on in. Have a seat."

Onmund obeyed and took the chair across from her. He began to feel nervous, but he knew that this was important. He started, "So, I, uh, just wanted to talk to you." He then hesitated, wondering how he should go about this. He then finally finished, "I no longer wish to pursue Restoration as a secondary focus of study."

Giving him a puzzled look, Colette asked, "So…do you wish to pursue it as your primary, then?"

_She's going to make this difficult for me, isn't she?_ "No," he answered levelly. "I wish to drop it altogether."

At this, Colette's face fell and she replied in a surprised tone, "You do? But…but why? You are doing so well!"

"I…I just don't have the time," he responded. "I think I need to just focus on one school of magic. Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed learning about Restoration magic. I think it's very useful. I just…need to get my priorities back in line."

He saw Colette's expression sadden, and then she sighed and slowly nodded. "Very well," she said. "I understand. You are very ambitious. That's what I like about you. But only you can decide what is best for yourself. If you just want to focus on one school of magic, then that's fine. I'm glad you told me this now, though. I was just about to come find you today to let you know that Bridgette and I are going back to Solitude again."

"You are?" he asked.

"Yes," she responded. "We still have much work to do over there to train those novice healers. I was going to ask you to accompany us out there and gain some hands-on experience, but…I'm glad that you came to me now, and told me." With a sad smile, she then added, "I'm rather disappointed that you won't be continuing to learn from me. But I know that you will go on to make a fine mage. Keep up the hard work!"

"Thanks," he replied humbly. "And thank you for all you've done to teach me up until this point. I've learned a great deal." He then stood up and got ready to leave, but then remembered something. "Oh, and uh, could you tell Bridgette for me, too? I don't know where she is, so I don't know if I'll get a chance to tell her mys-"

"She's right in the training hall," Colette interrupted. "Why don't you go talk to her? I think she'd like to hear it from you."

Colette's tone was free from resentment, but somehow Onmund didn't think it was a good idea to protest, nonetheless. He was just going to have to go talk to Bridgette himself. With an inward sigh, he bid her farewell and then left her to go back outside. He then went into the training hall, where he found Bridgette practicing her spells.

As Onmund approached her, he noticed that she was practicing Sparks, one of the Destruction spells that he had taught her. With a feeling of guilt, he walked up to her and she lifted her head up and saw him. Her face lit up into a smile and she said cheerfully, "Hi, Onmund!"

"Hi, Bridgette," he replied.

She stopped casting and stood before him. "How did training with the Arch-Mage go?"

"Oh, it went well," he lied. Bridgette didn't need to know that their "training" was rather a complete disappointment. He quickly changed the subject. "Bridgette, I have some news for you."

"What is it?" she asked.

"I am no longer going to be a Restoration student," he declared.

At this, a look of shock washed over her face and she uttered, "Oh? Why not?"

"I need to focus on my primary study- namely Destruction. It's just that I don't think it would be good for my College career to try to learn two schools of magic at the same time."

"I see," she said with sort of a frown. "Well, you were a great member of our team. And…a great friend."

Onmund mustered a smile. "Thanks. I appreciate that."

"I'll miss you," she admitted. "You were…the nicest anyone has ever been to me. I won't ever forget that."

With a warm smile, he replied, "Thanks. Again. I won't forget you and Colette either and all that I have learned from the both of you." Making like he was about to leave, he added, "Oh…and good luck in Solitude. Colette told me that you're both going back."

"Yes, we are," she confirmed. "She was actually going to ask you to come with us but…I knew you were going to say no."

"I appreciate the thought," he offered. "Well, I'd better get going. Keep practicing those Destruction spells I taught you."

"Of course," she replied. She then piped up, "Hey, Onmund?"

Onmund stopped and waited for her to continue.

"Is it…true that you are in love with Arch-Mage Sweeting?"

Very surprised by her question, he could now feel his face begin to grow hot.

"I don't mean to embarrass you," she continued in a gentle manner. "It's just that I've heard it from several people already. I think it's very sweet. She seems like a wonderful person and she's also very pretty. And I heard that you two know each other very well. She was the one who gave you that stone, wasn't she?"

With nothing to hide now, the embarrassment that he had felt initially began to subside as he replied, "Yeah. It was her."

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?" she asked.

"I can't," he replied.

"Why not?"

"Because she's the Arch-Mage."

"So?"

"So…me being a student I can't just…well, you know. It would be inappropriate!"

"You're just scared, aren't you? Afraid that she won't feel the same way?"

He sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I am." He couldn't believe that he was having this conversation with Bridgette, but he was even more amazed at the fact that he no longer felt ashamed of the subject. It was…liberating.

"You weren't scared to face that dragon," she pointed out.

"Yeah…but this is different," he said.

"How is it different?" she questioned. "Are you saying the Arch-Mage is worse than a dragon?"

He chuckled a little, and answered, "No. Not at all."

"Hmmm, well the other day I _did_ see her yelling at a visitor from the Thalmor," she commented. "That was a little scary…I actually felt sorry for the elf."

Onmund didn't say anything and then Bridgette continued, "Sorry. That doesn't help, does it?"

He shook his head. "No, no, it doesn't." He then sighed. "But you're probably right. I oughtta be brave about this."

"See? There you go," she declared. "Women like men who are fearless. I think Danielle would appreciate it if you were just upfront with her."

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded.

At this, he began to feel a little better. Bridgette's words were starting to take root in him, and he realized that she was absolutely right. He should just…tell Danielle point blank how he felt about her. Their friendship was already at a tipping point- he figured that there was not much to lose if he went ahead with this. He finally said to Bridgette, "Okay. I'll talk to her and tell her."

"All right!" Bridgette cheered. "Go get her, stallion! I would say to let me know how it goes, but by the time you do it I'll probably already be gone. We won't be back for another few months or so."

He gave her a smile and said, "Thank you, Bridgette. You're a great friend."

"Anytime," she replied with a smile.

He then left her, and she went back to practicing her spells. He went back to his room and tried to read, but anxiety started to take over and he couldn't concentrate, so he went into the Arcaneum and took his books with him there. However, after a short while, he lost his concentration there, too, and finally just put his books away back in his room again. He began pacing back and forth within his room. He knew what he was feeling anxious about, and that was over the matter of talking to Danielle. He had already planned to have a talk with her after taking care of business with Colette and Bridgette, but now that he had a new mission, he was extremely nervous about executing it and kept putting it off. _But this isn't doing me any good,_ he knew. _I need to just get it over with._ Gathering up as much courage as he could muster, he went out of his room and headed out towards the Hall of Elements.

Once inside, he walked up to the door of the Arch-Mage's Quarters and stood in front of it. _I can't believe I'm doing this,_ he thought. He then lifted his hand and placed it on the handle, hesitating. _No, wait. I can't just barge in. What if someone like Tolfdir or Arniel is in there with her? _He took his hand off of the handle and instead gave the door three firm knocks.

It took a long time before he heard any sound indicating that she was inside. He began hearing rapid steps down the staircase from her room and then she finally called out, "Who is it?"

"It's Onmund," he nervously replied back.

He listened as the steps down the staircase stopped, and he nearly lost his courage as he thought that she would surely ignore him and turn back up, but the steps continued on down after that brief pause and the door opened. He saw her face, and on it was a slightly wary expression as she looked up at him. "May I…come in?" he asked her.

Without a word, she opened the door wide open for him and stepped aside. He stepped over the threshold and she closed the door behind them. She waited for him to get his business over with, whatever it was, but Onmund didn't like standing so close to the doorway in the dimly-lighted stairwell. "I wanted to talk to you," he said, hoping that she would invite him in and they could sit down or something.

He got his wish when she responded, "Then, come in," and then led him up the stairs into the main chamber of her room.

Onmund had never been in the Arch-Mage's Quarters before, so when he first saw it, he could hardly believe it. The word "wow" involuntarily escaped his lips as he gazed around the spacious chamber. The chamber was about as large as the training hall itself but it had many more furnishings and even a garden in the middle.

"It's actually interesting that you showed up just now," Danielle spoke, interrupting his visual tour of the room.

"Huh? Really?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "I've been trying to translate some ancient Nordic scrolls for Arniel, and I am having the toughest time with them." She then led him over to a small table in the inner chamber, and on it was a pile of scrolls and open books.

"Ancient Nordic scrolls?" he questioned. "Let me see them."

She then pointed to one of the scrolls for him. "This one has a word that I can't seem to translate. This one right here." She put her finger on one of the words and Onmund looked closely. The letters were a little faded and smudged but it looked like the letters for the word "horvutah," which meant "trap." It was right next to the word, "sil," which meant "soul," so that made him all the more confident that he had the right guess because "Soul Trap" was the name of a common Conjuration spell. He related all of this to her and she seemed pleasantly surprised. "I appreciate your help," she said. "So…what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Looking her in the eyes, he took a deep breath and said, "I just wanted to say…that I'm sorry…about what I said to you the other day."

Again looking surprised, she broke his gaze and looked away. "You don't need to apologize," she said quietly.

"No. I do," he insisted. "I said some pretty hurtful things, and I regret them."

He then saw her expression soften as his words seemed to sink in. She then spoke, "Well…I'm sorry for the hurtful things I said, too."

"Also, I…I dropped out of Colette's class," he said.

Her expression transforming into surprise, she asked, "You did? Why?"

Gazing at her, he said, "Because you were right. I need to just focus on one school of study for now."

"Onmund…" she started, gazing back at him thoughtfully. She was standing mere inches in front of him, and as she uttered her next words, "I didn't think you'd do that," he suddenly grabbed the sides of her face and forced his lips upon hers, cutting her off midsentence. He felt her body stiffen as she reacted to his sudden kiss and then he pulled away from her just as quickly. And the expression that he saw on her face- her eyes opened wide and her mouth open in a little "O" caused the realization of what he had done to hit him like a rock.

"Oh…oh, gods…that wasn't supposed to happen…I'm…I'm sorry!" he immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry! I-I don't know what came over me." His mind began to spin as he backed away from her, feeling utterly mortified at what he had done.

She continued to just stare speechlessly at him as he faltered in his composure, finally sputtering, "I…I'll just be leaving now." He then turned on his heel and hightailed it out of there, bounding down the stairs and busting through the doors back into his private quarters, where he finally stood, facing his bed, and feeling like he wanted to just die right then and there. Wringing his hands like a madman, his thoughts came rushing forth, _What have I done? Oh, what have I done!? I can't believe I just did that! _He was supposed to have a plan. After his apology, he was supposed to ease into the subject of telling her how he felt about her. But as his nerves got the better of him, his mind had begun racing and all of his rational thoughts became jumbled up in an incoherent mess. So, he just kissed her. He just grabbed and kissed her without warning. _Oh, by Kyne, I've royally screwed up now!_ If there was any chance left of redeeming himself in her eyes, it was now all gone, vanishing the moment he had made an utter fool out of himself by throwing himself upon her like that.

He wandered aimlessly about in his small room, wishing that the floor below him would open and swallow him up or that someone could cast a spell on him that would make him disappear forever. Soon, though, humiliation was replaced with despair and by bedtime, he had sunken into a deep depression.

_Danielle hates me now,_ he knew. _I'll bet she just _abhors_ me. I'm never going to be able to face her again. _But wish as he might, that night no hole swallowed him up and no sudden ailment took away his life, and the next morning came uninvited and with it, a strong sense of dread and foreboding.

* * *

_I must say again that I'm so happy to have so many followers and people really getting into this story! Thank you for taking the time to write reviews on each chapter! Yes, friends do indeed fight. And Onmund needs to learn that hard truth and get past it. So I made Tolfdir the Destruction professor because I really like writing about his character and I wanted him to play an important part in the story- namely a mentor/almost-father figure to Onmund. That was really the main reason why I switched it up that way. One thing I wonder though is what race Tolfdir is supposed to be. I want to say he looks Nordic but then that would mess with the whole "Onmund being the only Nord mage" thing. So maybe he is Imperial? Breton?_


	27. Lies

It took great mental strength to drag himself to class, not at all wanting to face all that was coming, including having to face the very woman he had never wanted to show his face to ever again. He came to a mostly empty training hall save for Tolfdir.

"Onmund!" Tolfdir exclaimed. "Just the person I wanted to see!"

With no reaction, Onmund languidly stepped forward towards his professor.

"Is it true that you dropped Colette's class?" he asked him.

He simply nodded.

Tolfdir gave him a thoughtful look before saying, "Onmund…I underestimated you. For this I am sorry. You have great courage in recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses, and I am proud of you. Whatever the reason for deciding to come back full-time to Destruction, I am just happy to have you back. How did training with Danielle go?"

Onmund flinched at the mention of her name but he responded mechanically, "It went well."

"I am glad to hear that," he replied. "Ah, here she comes now."

At this, every muscle in his body stiffened as he heard the sound of Danielle's and Brelyna's voices coming into the room. He kept his eyes trained on the ground as Tolfdir greeted them and they all chatted for a bit. Soon, J'zargo arrived and class began.

"I'm going to make things quick this morning for I'll have to end class early," Tolfdir stated. "Colette is giving a short talk in here soon. But first, I wanted to announce that Onmund is back with us full time. He has decided not to continue pursuing his secondary. And I must say, this must have taken great courage on his part. The ability to recognize when one has taken on far too many responsibilities and then to trim accordingly is far more difficult than the very opposite situation, and I commend him for it. Anyway, let's get started with a few spells."

As their practicing of spells commenced, Onmund stole discreet glances here and there at Danielle, who seemed to show no indication on her face or in her demeanor that she was still reeling from their encounter yesterday. He had begun to wonder if she was desperately trying to forget the kiss, as well. But at the moment, she seemed completely fine. Her countenance was virtually unreadable.

As he had indicated first thing, Tolfdir ended the class early and soon, the other members of the College began filling up the training hall. Colette and Bridgette then arrived and took their places in the center of the circle and Colette started the assembly off by saying, "As you all may or may not know, Bridgette and I will be away from the College for a few months again to continue our training operation in Solitude."

At this, Onmund heard someone whisper sarcastically, "Huh, it's not like anyone notices anyway," followed by snickering.

Colette immediately stopped and glared at the group and Tolfdir spoke up, "All right, that's enough."

The whispering and snickering stopped and Colette continued with her talk about her and Bridgette's trip to Solitude, at during which time Onmund stole a glance over at Danielle, who was standing next to Tolfdir. He was surprised to see that her eyes looked downcast, and she didn't even seem to be paying any attention to Colette, or really to anyone else around her. _What's wrong with her? _he wondered. _Something is bothering her, I can tell. But what? Is it…the kiss?_ Just then, he saw her look up at him and he immediately looked down at the ground, feeling his face grow red with embarrassment. He knew that he had ruined everything with that kiss coming out of the blue, not to mention the fact that he put both her and his reputation in jeopardy by doing that. _If anyone happens to find out about it, either she or I or both of us will be toast,_ he realized. He hadn't really thought of it that way before, but it was true. Either one of them could be pegged with misconduct if word got out about the kiss. And the consequences of that were not exactly trivial. Depending on the severity of the misconduct, they could either be demoted or even expelled. He knew that he would never forgive himself if that happened to her. But, of course, it was _his_ fault so she could just say that and he would be the only one demoted or expelled. _And I would totally deserve it, too, _he thought bitterly.

After Colette finished her talk, she and Bridgette bid everyone farewell, including coming up to Onmund to talk to him for one last time.

"I wish you luck in your studies," Colette said warmly.

"Yes, good luck!" Bridgette said. With a wink, she then whispered, "And good luck talking to the Arch-Mage."

Onmund felt sick in his stomach when she said this. _Little does she know that I've completely blown it with the Arch-Mage,_ he thought.

When the assembly was over, everyone vacated the training hall, and Onmund went back to his room. It was now lunchtime, but he didn't feel hungry. He just sat down in his chair and opened up one of his books to read, but he could not focus on the words on the pages. His mind was swimming with all kinds of dreadful thoughts, like the prospect of getting expelled and what he was going to do if that happened. _If someone asks me about what happened with Danielle, then of course, I'll tell them the truth. I'll tell them that I threw myself at her and that she had nothing to do with my inappropriate behavior- that she didn't ask for it. I'll then be told that I've acted abominably and that I'm a horribly indecent person. And then I'll be kicked out of the College…_

At one point, J'zargo came by his room and asked him if he wanted to practice their spells together in the training hall, but Onmund turned him down, not exactly in the mood to do so. "Your face is long," J'zargo remarked, looking at him with concern. "Everything okay, Striker?"

He replied back to him, "I just don't feel well at the moment. Upset stomach, I guess."

"Nord needs more sugar in his diet," J'zargo declared. "Someday you will see that J'zargo is right."

Despite himself, he couldn't help but let out a little snort. According to J'zargo, sugar in some form- especially Moon Sugar, was the solution to everything. He had never tasted the stuff before himself, simply because it was expensive and hard to find, but according to J'zargo, it was "out of this world."

J'zargo left him, and he was all alone again. He ended up spending the rest of the afternoon reading a non-magic-related storybook to get his mind off of his depression and by dinnertime, he was ravenous, so he ate some Potato Soup in the dining hall.

Feeling satisfied, he walked back to his room in a slightly better mood, and he decided that he would go into the training hall after all to do some practicing. As he began gathering up his spellbooks, he heard someone enter the Hall of Attainment and when they walked past his room, he saw that it was Danielle.

Her arrival made him tense up, and he hurriedly gathered his stuff so that he could book it out of the hall without her seeing him. She had gone into Brelyna's room and they started talking. Finally, with his books and scrolls in hand, he rushed out of his room and started for the door when Danielle called out his name.

He stiffened, and then turned around to face her. He could only look into her eyes for less than a second before feeling embarrassed all over again, saying, "Uh, yes?" and then he looked away and fidgeted uncomfortably.

"I am taking all of you out on another field trip tomorrow," she said to him in her business-like tone. "Be ready to leave tomorrow morning at 7AM."

"Uh, yeah. Okay," he replied awkwardly.

She seemed to hesitate for a second, wondering if he was going to ask about where they were going and why, but she could see that he was very uncomfortable and so she just walked straight past him and back out the door, leaving him standing there feeling like he had just withstood a gale force of wind. He stood there for about a second or two more, trying to regain his composure before he finally stepped out himself so that he could walk over to the Hall of Elements to train.

When Onmund woke up early the next morning to get ready for their trip, he knew that he was definitely not looking forward to the ordeal of having to face Danielle again. He just hoped that it wouldn't be as unbearable with the four of them all there. He met up with the others in the Hall of Elements, and Danielle explained to them where they were going and what they would be doing.

"Arniel has asked me to charge this soul gem that he gave me," she explained, showing them the soul gem that she was holding. "This is a special soul gem that he says is critical for the experiments that he's doing. He has told me a little bit about his project, but he has asked me to keep it a secret until he is further along. So I'm sorry that I can't tell you exactly about what his experiments are about. But what I _can_ tell you is that it's about the Dwemers and their sudden disappearance."

"So he's basically trying to find out why the Dwemers disappeared?" Brelyna asked.

"Yes," Danielle responded. "And apparently, this soul gem is an important part of the puzzle. He said that it needs to be charged three times in an apparatus called a convector, which the Dwemers had built. According to him, there is at least one convector located in each Dwemer ruin throughout Skyrim, and unfortunately, when the gem is charged one time in a convector, the convector gets destroyed in the process, so we'll need to find three separate convectors to charge this in."

"Sounds like fun," J'zargo commented. "This one is ready to go on a trip and apply his skills."

"Well then, let's go," she declared, and everyone followed her out of the hall.

So far, no attention had been called to Onmund, and he hoped that it would continue that way throughout their trip. But shortly after they left the College gates and crossed the bridge, Brelyna asked Danielle, "Where exactly are we going to find these convectors?"

"Arniel knows about six locations," Danielle answered. "Two of them are at Mzulft, so we will head there first, and then a third can be found near Shor's Stone."

"Oh! You and Onmund have been to Mzulft, haven't you?" Brelyna questioned. "Did you see the convectors there?"

"No, but we can look," she replied, looking over at Onmund.

Becoming self-conscious, Onmund simply shrugged. "I don't remember seeing them either," he mumbled.

At this, Brelyna gave him a look, the same look that he remembered her giving him from time to time whenever Danielle was around, as if somehow trying to figure out exactly what was going on between the two of them. It always made him uncomfortable, and this was no exception.

The four mages all continued on south, eventually reaching Kynesgrove as the sun set. The last time Onmund was there, he was alone with Danielle and things were better between them. He remembered the conversation he had with her about Marcurio here and how uncomfortable she was after that conversation. _No matter how much resentment Danielle might've had towards Marcurio, at least he never threw himself upon her and kissed her out of the blue like I did!_ he thought ruefully.

When they went into Braidwood Inn, Kjeld and Iddra greeted them. When they saw Onmund and Danielle, they immediately recognized them as the famed mage dragon slayers who had saved their village a while back.

"You brought your friends!" Iddra exclaimed. "How about soup and drinks for all of you on the house?"

Danielle's eyes widened and she protested, "No, we couldn't possibly accept that! Please, we will pay for our dinners and for two rooms."

"Oh, at least have the drinks on us," she insisted.

With a sigh, Danielle conceded, "All right."

With all four mages seated at a table together, Kjeld and Iddra brought four bottles of Honningbrew Mead and four tankards and set them in front of them. They poured the drink into their tankards for them and then into their own two tankards, saying, "We should have done this before," Iddra declared. "But ever since you saved our village from the dragon and saved one of our very own, we have been very grateful." They then raised their tankards, and the mages did the same. "This is to the mages of Winterhold, the saviors of our village!" Iddra declared.

"Here, here!" Kjeld echoed.

Onmund raised his mug along with his friends and they all drank the mead right up. He was more of a fan of Ale than he was of mead but he remembered his father drinking it all the time. Coincidentally, Honningbrew Mead had been his favorite, and he would always have it at night after coming in from a day of hard work.

"I will bring you all some soup shortly," Iddra said and she and Kjeld left them alone at their table.

"This is J'zargo's first time tasting mead," J'zargo said when the proprietors were gone.

"How do you like it?" Onmund asked him.

J'zargo took another sip of his mug, smacking his lips a couple of times before replying, "It needs more sweetness."

Brelyna laughed. "You _would_ say that! As for me, I can't really say I'm much of a fan of this stuff. You, Danielle?"

"I prefer wine, but this is pretty good, actually," Danielle answered.

Once again, when Onmund met her eyes, it was but a fleeting moment as he immediately looked back down at his table guiltily. He continued to drink his mead and converse with J'zargo, as Danielle busily chatted away with Brelyna. By the time the soup was brought over, they were all pretty much hammered and that's when things got interesting. Feeling giddy and talkative, Onmund said to his friends, "Hey guys, you wanna hear the story of how we killed the dragon here?"

As he looked at his friends, he saw Danielle suddenly give him an interested look. J'zargo replied, "Tell us the story, Striker!"

He felt a little woozy as he stood up from his seat, but otherwise, he felt great. He began his story. "So there we were, the dragon flying over us, and with a flash of lightning from my hands, I was able to bring the abominable creature down to the ground!" He followed this by pounding his fist onto his other open palm. "I had to jump out of the way as it came crashing down, almost crushing us! Then, it opened its mouth and a blast of fire came out! I warded just in time to shield us from the fiery blast-"

"Excuse me?" Danielle cried, beginning to stand up out of her chair, as well. She looked very woozy, but she steadied herself and gave him an indignant look. She was obviously drunk, as well. "First of all, that dragon breathed _frost_, not fire! And whose ward was it again that saved us both from its icy breath?"

"Oh, ho! Setting my story straight, are you?" he exclaimed, getting riled up. He then faced the other two mages. "I stand corrected! It _was_ Danielle's ward that saved us." He then looked back at her and said, "But _I_ dealt the killing blow, remember?"

"So?" she shouted. "If it wasn't for my Flames to severely weaken it, you would've had a much harder time!"

J'zargo put his hands over his head and declared, "Who cares who did what? Just tell us the story!"

"Ugh, guys, I have a headache," Brelyna complained. She then got up out of her seat. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to lie down. My head is really pounding."

"Just let me finish my story at least!" Onmund insisted.

"You're drunk," Brelyna told him. "And so am I. But I'm not used to this stuff like you are. I feel a little sick."

"All right, fine," he conceded. "Just as long as Danielle agrees that I had dealt the last blow to the dragon and killed it. Then I can go to bed."

"Ugh, Onmund, you're impossible," Danielle groaned dramatically. "If you want to take all the credit for killing the dragon, then be my guest. I just don't care, anymore."

"What? You don't care?" he questioned. "Then, why are you raising such a big stink over whether the dragon breathed frost or fire and who warded and who didn't?"

"Enough! You're starting to give Khajiit a headache, too!" J'zargo cried, but he was ignored.

"Because you can't get your story straight!" she slurred. "You're just telling lies!"

"I'm telling lies? _I'm_ telling lies?! You know, I'm not the one at the College who's been spreading certain rumors."

"What are you talking about?"

"Guys! Enough already!" Brelyna interjected.

"Just slap him," J'zargo grumbled.

"No…" Brelyna started, but was interrupted by Danielle's, "All right, maybe I will."

In a move that surprised even Onmund, Danielle lunged forward at him but being in her extremely inebriated state, she just stumbled forward and fell right onto him. He held out his arms and caught her. Brelyna stepped forward, as well, attempting to steady her. "I got her, I got her," Onmund insisted, trying to hold her up. He had remembered her body feeling very light and fragile when he had helped her stand up after the battle with the Skeletal Dragon down in Labyrinthian, but now she felt very heavy and limp. He turned her face towards him and she uttered a groan, barely conscious.

"Take her to our room," Brelyna instructed in an impatient tone.

Onmund gently lifted her legs up and now carrying her in his arms, followed Brelyna over to Iddra.

"Uh-oh, too much mead?" Iddra asked with a mix of amusement and concern.

Onmund nodded. "We just need two rooms."

"Right this way then," she responded and led him to one of the rooms.

Brelyna followed him as he carried Danielle over to one of the beds.

"Let me know if you need anything," Iddra said before leaving them.

Onmund gently set Danielle down onto the bed. She was conscious, but she didn't look so well. Remorse began to rise within him as he recalled their little drunken argument. "You okay?" he asked her worriedly.

She groaned again, keeping her eyes closed. "My head hurts."

He put his hand on her forehead and then asked her softly, "Would a Healing spell work?"

"No," she answered, sounding annoyed. "No…"

"Onmund, you'd better leave her alone," Brelyna said. "We all just need to sleep this off."

He sighed, taking his hand off of her. "I'm sorry. I've been a real jerk, tonight. I'll just be going back to my room now." And with that, he left the two women alone in their room and walked over to the other room that he and J'zargo were going to share.

J'zargo was already there removing his boots and climbing into bed. "Did Striker get slapped?" he asked Onmund as he rested his paws behind his head.

"No," he replied, sitting down on the other bed and removing his boots. _I probably should have, though,_ he said in his mind.

"What a wild evening," J'zargo remarked. "J'zargo is sure to feel this in the morning. Good night."

"Night," Onmund grunted and lay down on the bed. He passed out immediately.

* * *

_Onmund sure has blown it with the Arch-Mage...or has he? You'll just have to stick around to find out! But yes, it totally could have been worse. He'll just have to hope that she doesn't tattle on him. Yes, I could see Tolfdir being a Nord; I guess it's not all THAT uncommon for Nords to be prominent mages (I'm looking at you, Farengar, Shalidor, Geirmund, and countless others!) But damnit, I want Onmund to be unique XD_


	28. Arniel's Endeavor

True to J'zargo's words, Onmund definitely felt the aftermath of their wild evening when he woke up in the morning. His head was pounding and his stomach felt very uncomfortable. On top of that, the guilt from the way he had acted in front of everyone came back to him, including his behavior towards Danielle. _She hates me,_ he said to himself again. _She _must_ hate me. There's no doubt about it._ He wished that he could just curl up in the bed all day long and forget about everyone else but he was eventually up with the others so that they could depart for Mzulft.

Everyone was in a mess physically and mentally, but they all managed to eat a quick breakfast and before long, were on the road to the Dwemer ruin to the east. As the four mages walked along the road together, Onmund decided to speak up. "I'm sorry about the way I acted last night. That was really inappropriate of me." He wanted to apologize to everyone but he looked directly at Danielle as he said this.

"Don't worry about it," Brelyna piped up. "It was the mead doing the talking. I don't think I'll ever have that again."

"I know," he said. "But I just want to apologize for a lot of things." Again, he looked right at Danielle as he continued, "I know I haven't been a very good friend lately. I hope that'll change."

At this, Danielle looked up at him as they were walking and their eyes met for a moment before J'zargo cut in, "Will you stop with the apologies? By Alkosh, sometimes you embarrass Khajiit."

This caused Brelyna to giggle, and Onmund was too mortified to go on, so he dropped it. Within a couple of hours, they reached Mzulft and Danielle found the Dwemer Convector up on a platform near the ruin entrance.

"So this is what it looks like!" Brelyna exclaimed as they all gathered around the apparatus.

To Onmund it looked familiar. It was large, round in shape, and was made of the same gilded metal that all Dwemer machinery was made out of. It also had a button on top, reminding him of the little vaults he had seen within Dwemer ruins which usually held treasure inside. He watched as Danielle pressed the button and the convector opened up. She then placed the soul gem inside and began channeling a spell. "Arniel taught me a special spell that will heat up the convector without damaging the soul gem," she explained. "This should charge it just enough before we need to move it to another convector." She then unleashed the spell, and as the flames came out of her hands and hit the convector, the soul gem began to glow a bright blue color. She stopped heating it, and they saw that the top of the convector was burnt to a crisp, but as promised, the soul gem was still intact. She picked it up and put it back into her satchel.

"So that's it?" J'zargo asked.

"That's it for this one," she replied. "Now we need to find another convector. There's supposed to be another one around here somewhere."

"I think I know where it is," Onmund piped up. "I think I remember seeing a convector inside the ruin, not too far in. I didn't know what it was at the time Danielle and I were here."

"All right, lead the way then," Danielle said.

The Arch-Mage and the two Apprentices followed Onmund into the ruin. Once inside, Onmund noticed something. "Hey, that Gavros guy is gone. Looks like the Synod have left."

"Gavros?" Brelyna questioned.

"Synod?" J'zargo questioned simultaneously.

"It's…it's a long story," he replied, glancing at Danielle.

"We'll tell you about it later," Danielle said. "Let's find that convector. Where did you remember seeing it, Onmund?"

"Uh, this way," he said and led the mages down the corridors. It was further in than he had remembered it being, but at last they came to a platform where the convector was. Danielle put the soul gem inside of it and heated it up, yielding the same results as the one outside had.

"All right, we just need to charge this up one more time," she said after she took the soul gem out. "The nearest one from here is just to the southwest of Shor's Stone."

"We should get there by midday," Onmund said. "Let's get going."

They all went back outside and found their way back onto the main path leading south. It took about three hours to get to Shor's Stone, and Danielle consulted the map that Arniel had given her to pinpoint the exact location of the convector near there. It was several hundred paces to the southwest, tucked into some hills. They headed out that way and off the beaten path. Onmund was a little nervous wandering off the main path but he figured that they had a map and that Danielle knew what she was doing.

Soon, they came upon a small Dwemer ruin nestled within a grove of aspens. Danielle suddenly stopped them, becoming wary. At first, Onmund didn't know why, but just then he heard a voice speak, "Who's there?"

"There's someone there!" Brelyna whispered.

"Shhh," Danielle urged, putting a finger to her lips. "Spread out." She then pointed to her right. "I'll go this way." Pointing to her left, she said, "J'zargo and Onmund, you go that way."

Following her orders, Onmund followed J'zargo off to the left until J'zargo stopped, so Onmund kept going, sneaking among the trees, keeping his eyes trained on the ruins in the center. He still couldn't see who had spoken out among them so he just kept on going. Suddenly, a purplish mist appeared right in front of him, causing him to cry out, "Aahhh!" He immediately stopped in his tracks as a Frost Atronach materialized out of the mist. It started attacking him, and he backed up as far as he could to throw out some Lightning Bolts at it.

Just then, he heard shouts from afar. It sounded like Danielle but he couldn't make out what she was saying.

As he continued hurling Lightning Bolts at the atronach and dodging its sprays of frost, he saw Danielle run up from behind it and send forth a steady stream of Flames from her hands, causing it to disintegrate. He watched her in disbelief as she approached him and was about to say something to her when he felt a sharp, stabbing pain on the side of his leg. "Agh!" he cried out and looked down. An ice spike had been driven into the side of his thigh. He faltered as the pain started to immobilize him.

"Onmund!" Danielle cried and searched the trees frantically for the source of the debilitating spell.

Suddenly, a Warlock appeared out of the trees and came towards them. Danielle charged towards him and Onmund looked on as she and the Warlock engaged in a frightening battle of fire and ice. He was on the ground now, the pain in his leg absolutely unbearable. His satchel was under him, and he couldn't find the strength to shift his weight over to get to it. He tried to channel some magicka into his hands for a Healing spell, but with the spell still relatively new to him and being in his incapacitated state, he couldn't concentrate on the incantation. He placed his hand on the ice spike in his leg and was surprised to discover that touching it alone made the pain immensely worse. A substantial amount of blood was pouring out of his leg around the sides of it, and just seeing all of it made him feel faint. Thus, he sat there helplessly and watched as the battle with the Warlock unfolded before him. Brelyna and J'zargo had joined the assault, as well, and after an intense fight, the Warlock finally went down.

The three mages immediately ran over to Onmund. "By the light of Azura, Onmund!" Brelyna cried, alarmed.

"That's the worst injury I've ever seen!" J'zargo cried.

Danielle was already crouching down on the ground next to him and frantically removing her gloves. She placed her hand on his forehead and said to him, "This may hurt, but trust me."

Onmund nodded weakly and watched as she put her other trembling hand right onto his wound. This caused him to cry out as the pain shot through his leg like a thousand arrows. But she kept her hands steady on him and quickly recited the incantation. Just as he had before when she healed him, he felt an intense wave of mysterious power overtake him. He closed his eyes, feeling an acute sense of euphoria as the spell worked on him, and then after a few moments, opened them.

"Hold on, I'm not done yet," Danielle urged.

He looked down at his leg and saw that the ice spike was gone, and her hand completely covered the spot where it had been, so he looked back up at her curiously, wondering what she meant.

"There's still a gaping hole in your leg," she explained. "I now need to cast Close Wounds on you."

He nodded and let her proceed. She closed her eyes again and whispered a different incantation, and her hands began to glow white. He flinched as a very strange sensation hit his leg where the spell flowed into him and Danielle urged, "Don't move." He tried to keep still but it felt very uncomfortable. After a few seconds, though, his leg returned to normal.

She removed her hands from him, and everyone gasped as they saw that the wound on his leg had completely healed. There was still a hole in his robes where the ice spike had gone through but his skin was as good as new. "Amazing," he breathed, in just as much astonishment as the other Apprentices were. "Um, thank you."

"You're welcome," she said to him and stood up. But as she stood up, her step faltered and Brelyna and J'zargo had to reach out and catch her before she fell.

"Are you okay?!" Onmund asked her, worriedly.

She nodded quickly, trying to regain her balance. "I'll be fine," she assured, but Brelyna looked at her with concern. "You didn't use up all your magicka on those spells, did you?" she asked her.

"It doesn't matter," Danielle replied weakly. "He needed help."

Becoming worried, Onmund immediately reached into his satchel and found a magicka-replenishing potion. He stood up and gave it to her.

"Thanks," she said and drank it up. "Ah, much better."

J'zargo and Brelyna let go of her as she seemed to regain her strength. "Thank you, Onmund."

"You're welcome, but…Danielle, you shouldn't use all of your magicka to heal me!" he cried. He gave her a tender look and she caught his gaze for a moment before shyly turning away.

"Onmund's right," Brelyna agreed, looking at her friend with concern. "What you did for him was very sweet but you've got to look out for your own well-being, as well."

Danielle shrugged. "I'm sorry. I won't do that again. Well…we should get moving. Let's find that convector."

"I'll bet it's around here somewhere," Brelyna said after giving her and Onmund "the look" again. "That Warlock was probably guarding it."

The four mages went into the grove of trees and came upon the rubble of a small Dwemer ruin. In the center of the pile, they found the convector.

"There it is," Onmund proclaimed, pointing to it.

Danielle walked over to it and opened it up. "Thank goodness it's not damaged!" She then placed the soul gem inside and heated it up one last time, destroying the convector in the process. After taking the gem back out, she put it back into her satchel and declared, "Well, that's it. Let's head back to the College now. We'll have to spend the night in Kynesgrove again, of course."

J'zargo let out a sigh. "Must we? Those beds were itchy."

"Not unless you wanna sleep out on the cold hard ground again and hunt rabbits for dinner!" Onmund jabbed.

J'zargo grumbled as the rest of them laughed. "I'm sorry, J'zargo," Danielle said. "Kynesgrove is the nearest place to stay. Shor's Stone didn't have an inn."

"Isn't Riften close to here?" he asked.

"Yeah, but we're not going there!" Onmund insisted. "Not only is it in the wrong direction but I'm not going anywhere near that crime-ridden town." Looking at Danielle, he added, "I don't know how you survived out there for that amount of time you stayed."

"Hmm, what about Ivarstead?" Brelyna asked. "Isn't that also near here?"

"Yes, but that's over these hills and across the lake," he replied. "It'll take us the same amount of time to get there as it will to get back to Kynesgrove but then we're going to have an even longer journey back to the College tomorrow."

Brelyna sighed and shrugged. "I guess Kynesgrove it is, then."

"Fine," J'zargo relented. "Perhaps this one will order some more mead to get through the night."

"You go right on ahead," Brelyna retorted. "I'm not touching that stuff again."

Onmund chuckled. "More Honningbrew Mead sounds good." At this, the other mages gave him malevolent looks. "But I promise not to drink as much this time!"

Finally, the mages went on their way back north and spent the night in Kynesgrove. Unlike their previous drunken night there, they all cut back on the alcohol and their second night was much more peaceful. The next day, they took the long trek back up to the College, thus ending another adventure with the four Apprentice Destruction students. Onmund remembered Danielle parting ways with them with hardly more than her usual farewell. It wasn't irregular or unfriendly, but nonetheless it was a depressing way to see her go as she didn't invite him to go with her up on the roof or anything this time, but he had no reason to expect her to, anyway.

Reality set in once again as Onmund retreated to his room after having dinner with Brelyna and J'zargo and he sat on his bed to read his books. He paused momentarily to look up and gaze across the hall to the empty bedroom that had once belonged to Danielle. As he thought about her and remembered all of their fun moments together, he lamented, _Those moments sure were the best moments of my life. But never again will I experience them._ He thought back to his recent apology to her about not being a good friend and wanting that to change but try as he might, he couldn't associate anything with that declaration besides pure folly. _How can I be a good friend to the Arch-Mage?_ he wondered. _I've already shamed myself in front of her with that kiss. There's really nothing I can do at this point except just…let her do her job and support her the best way that I can. And that means giving her space…what a cold and empty concept- giving her space. It just means that I need to step aside and let her live her life without me as a significant part of it and vice versa._ He tried to fathom the implications of such an arrangement, but no matter how he looked at it, it threatened to eat away at his heart as he pictured their precious friendship slowly crumble away and her slowly drift away from him until they were merely no closer than strangers. He put his book away, unable to focus at the moment, and instead just changed into his nightshift. It was earlier than his usual bedtime but he didn't really feel like doing anything else. He was also very tired from their long outing, so he blew out his candle and climbed under the covers. He had more thoughts that he couldn't recall, but sleep finally overcame him before too long.

* * *

_Thank you for the support and love; I ALWAYS appreciate it! It makes me very happy! Onmund is finally getting his act together and doing the right thing, but it seems like the end of the road as far as his prospects with Danielle go. ...Or is it? And OMG, lol, to that comment about rape! I definitely don't condone it, but I wonder if Onmund would even have the balls to do that! He just seems too nice...but I COULD see him GETTING raped...oh man, I had better shut up before I say anymore, lest I embarrass myself..._


	29. Stepping Down

Tolfdir's class the next morning passed by mostly uneventfully. They simply retold the events of their trip to the Rift to him and then practiced with their spells, as usual. Danielle seemed noticeably melancholy again that morning but Onmund couldn't guess as to why she looked that way. After class was over, Tolfdir wanted to speak with Danielle privately right there in the hall so Onmund, J'zargo, and Brelyna left them to go have lunch together in the dining hall. They talked about their upcoming test- how J'zargo and Brelyna were going to be given a second chance at demonstrating their spell recreations, and Onmund was going to be given a second chance to successfully demonstrate his rune.

"So do you think you'll go back to learning more Restoration once you finish with Destruction?" Brelyna asked Onmund.

"I dunno," he replied. "I may try my hand at Illusion instead. It'll give me more of a challenge." When Brelyna was speaking about "finishing" Destruction, she was referring to reaching the Expert level. At the College, a student was considered to have completed their studies when they reached the Expert level in one particular school. They could go on to attain the Master level if they wanted to but that was optional.

"J'zargo will become Master of Destruction before he tries to learn anything else," the Khajiit declared. "You will see."

"Then you'll be called _Master_ Stunner!" Onmund joked.

"Yes. This one will be famous!" he added. "Everyone in Tamriel will be consulting J'zargo for his expertise in Destruction magic."

Onmund laughed. "And what about you, Brelyna? What will you do?"

"I'd like to learn Conjuration," she replied. "Someday I'd like to learn how to forge my own atronach."

"That would be neat," he remarked.

"Has anyone thought of teaching?" she then asked them. "I would like to teach Conjuration when I reach the Expert level in that school."

"Teaching?" J'zargo questioned. "J'zargo will be Arch-Mage or Master Wizard and he will be in charge of the whole school!"

"You can't be Arch-Mage as long as Danielle holds that post," Onmund pointed out.

"That's right," Brelyna chimed in. "She'll probably stay until she's as old as Savos."

At this, Onmund tried to imagine Danielle as an old woman, still presiding over the school. Subsequently, he imagined himself as an old man like Tolfdir, still pining away after her. It was a disconcerting thought. They continued talking about their future plans and everyone had optimistic goals. Onmund still remained uncertain, though, about what he was going to do about the woman he loved.

After lunch, everyone went back to their rooms. Back in his room, Onmund pulled out his books again and studied them, feeling a little more focused and energized than he was the night before. He also decided to brush up on his Healing incantation. He really wanted to have the spell down pat before going on another field trip again. _What would've happened if Danielle _wasn't_ there to heal me? _he wondered, shuddering. _I guess I could've gotten my healing potions out eventually, but I can't rely on those or other people all the time to come to my rescue. I need to be able to look after myself. _As he got up to get the spell book from his bookshelf, he heard the door open from the outside and someone came in. Usually, he never took special notice of these things because people came and went in the Hall of Attainment all day long, but the first thing that perked up his curiosity was when he heard Brelyna say, "Oh, do we have a new student?"

Onmund looked over towards the sound of her voice and saw that she was standing at the doorway to Danielle's old room. _Someone's moved in there already?_ he wondered, grasping the book.

Suddenly, he heard Brelyna gasp and she cried, "Danielle! What are you doing here?"

He heard some talking and then Brelyna turned around and shouted, "Hey! Onmund! J'zargo! Look! Danielle's back!"

Onmund let go of the spell book that he was holding and stepped out of his room in disbelief. He saw J'zargo rush over to Brelyna and he gasped, as well. "Danielle! What are you doing back here?"

_What is going on?_ Onmund wondered, and he walked towards them and indeed saw Danielle standing in her old room, looking at her two friends.

"Why…why are you in those robes?" Brelyna asked.

It was then that Onmund noticed that Danielle was no longer wearing her Arch-Mage Robes. She was dressed in Apprentice Robes just like the rest of them, sans hood. With a shrug, she responded to them, "I was demoted."

As she finished saying this, she looked squarely at Onmund, and he felt all the color drain from his face. _Oh, no…_Suddenly, it hit him like a rock._ She told them…she told them about our kiss,_ he thought. _I feel like I'm going to be sick._ Without giving any of them a second glance, he tore out of there, up the stairs, and all the way up to the rooftop. He busted through the doors to the outside and ran all the way to the edge of the balcony. The air was cold and the skies were dreary. A breeze was blowing and Onmund closed his eyes as he leaned his upper body over the ledge, feeling dizzy. _I can't believe it, I can't believe it, _he said in his mind over and over again. _It's all my fault. I've _ruined_ her. I've ruined her career! It's over. I'm finished. I am no longer her friend. And now, Tolfdir is going to have a talk with me next and I'll be demoted, too. Or possibly even expelled._ He squeezed his eyes shut even harder, wishing that the wind would carry him away or at least blow him over the edge. He had never felt more wretched in his entire life than he did at that very moment. As the wind howled around the turrets of the College, he thought he could hear the wind calling his name. It seemed to beckon him.

"Onmund," he now heard more clearly. But it wasn't the wind. It was Danielle's voice. He turned around, and saw the petite, Breton mage standing before him on the balcony. She began to approach him.

With his heart wrenching, he stammered, "I-I…I was just leaving." He then made like he was going to depart from her but she stopped him. "I wanted to talk to you," she said.

He let his shoulders slump in defeat. _All right, I guess I will just have to get this over with, _he thought.

"Can we sit down?" she asked.

Onmund gulped nervously and nodded. He gestured toward the bench at one end of the balcony. She took a seat on it and then he followed suit.

Eyeing him somewhat warily, she said, "I don't know if you had heard me, but I wanted to let you know that I'm moving back into the Hall of Attainment."

"I heard," he said somberly. With a knot forming in his stomach, he continued, "I'm sorry about your demotion. I _really_ am."

"You don't need to be sorry," she said. "I left of my own accord."

Suddenly, Onmund felt like he had been hit by another rock. He jerked his head up and looked back at her in surprise. "You did?" He then tried to process this new bit of information. "I-I-I don't understand. Why?"

Now it was Danielle's turn to be struck speechless. As she struggled to form her explanation, a strong, cold breeze blew and made her shiver furiously.

"You cold?" he asked her.

"…A little," she responded.

He didn't know what overcame him now, but he found himself scooting over closer to her and he wrapped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her close to him and shielding her from the wind with his body. He noticed that she did not stiffen up or try to push him away.

"Thank you," he heard the tiny reply.

Nervously he asked her again, "Why did you leave your post as Arch-Mage?"

There was another brief pause before she spoke timidly, "I guess…it wasn't…it wasn't all that I thought it would be."

"Too stressful?"

"Well, it was sometimes…but I mean…that wasn't the main reason."

"What was the main reason?"

"You're…you're going to laugh at me..."

"I would never laugh at you."

"Well…it was just that…I just missed being a _normal_ student! I missed the simple student life, doing the things a normal student would do. And I missed being with certain people…"

"What people?"

"All of my peers and friends."

"Your friends? Like Brelyna and J'zargo?"

At this, Danielle pulled out of his hold and gave him an indignant look. "And you!"

He gave her a look of surprise. "Me?" He then turned his gaze away in shame. "I thought you couldn't _stand_ to be around me anymore. Especially after I…well, what I did."

As Onmund readied himself for her agreement in his reproach of himself, nothing prepared him for what happened next. In a move that surprised even him, Danielle lifted her hand to his cheek, turned him towards her, and planted a kiss right on his lips. Not expecting it at all, he barely knew what hit him until she had already pulled herself away from him, giving him an expectant look.

"What was that for?" he questioned incredulously.

"To let you know that I _can_ stand you," she answered. "That I _must_ stand you." The expression in her eyes now changed, and she looked at him tenderly as she added in a soft voice, "You were the one I missed being with the most."

When she said this, he felt his heart swell. Gazing at her longingly, he pulled her into another kiss. This time, it felt so sweet and perfect. There was no longer any animosity or apprehension between them, and he lost himself in the blissful moment.

When they separated, he could see that her eyes were sparkling and she had on the most beautiful smile he had ever seen on her. "I'm so glad you're back with us again," he said softly. "I had missed being with you, as well."

"I'm glad to be back, too," she agreed.

"So you're…no longer Arch-Mage, then?" he declared. "Who's going to be Arch-Mage now?"

"Tolfdir, for now," she responded. "Until they decide on a replacement."

"Wow, now Tolfdir's _really_ going to be spread thin," he remarked. "He was Master Wizard, Professor of Destruction, and now he has to fill the part of Arch-Mage, as well?"

With a guilty look, Danielle said to him, "I feel bad overwhelming him with all of that responsibility. I hope they find new replacements soon."

He cupped her chin in his hand and said gently to her, "Don't feel bad. I imagine that was a very hard decision to make, to decide to step down."

She sighed. "It was." She then traced her finger down his jawline, giving him a nice chill. "But I had to do it."

He smiled warmly. "I'm really glad you did."

She smiled back, and then she sighed. "Well…shall we head back inside? I think Brelyna and J'zargo are waiting for us. They were worried about you when they saw you run up here."

He laughed sardonically at himself, remembering the pitiful state he had been in earlier. "Yeah, I guess we should."

They both stood up and, after putting her hand in his, they began making their way towards the door. As they walked hand-in-hand, Danielle piped up, "So…I guess this means you are my boyfriend now?"

Onmund blushed and looked down at her. "I guess it does…so is that against the rules?"

"I really don't know," she replied. "But I suppose it's better to be cautious."

"Right," he responded. Then, with a mischievous smile, he added, "Secret girlfriend."

Danielle giggled, and it was like music to his ears.

They stopped at the door, but before he could reach out to open it, she turned towards him and wrapped her arms around him, planting another kiss on his lips. He encircled her waist with his arms and kissed her back with eagerness. He relished the feeling of having her in his arms, trying to hold onto the moment as long as possible because now he wasn't sure when they'd get another moment like this again once they went inside.

When she pulled away from him, she grinned widely and he smiled at her just as happily. She then turned towards the door and opened it. They then went inside. Back on the first floor, they were greeted by Tolfdir. "Ah, there you are!" he said to Danielle. "I was looking all over for you." Brelyna and J'zargo were also standing there, looking worried. "We are going to have an assembly in a few minutes in the Hall of Elements. I'm going to give the announcement for what we talked about."

"All right," Danielle replied, and everyone went over to the Hall of Elements.

Once there, everyone gathered around as Tolfdir made his announcement about Danielle no longer being Arch-Mage. He explained that the position was going to remain empty until they found someone to fill it but that he was going to take over as much of the duties as he possibly could for the time being. Those who hadn't heard the news yet were shocked, but nonetheless, seemed to respect Danielle's decision about stepping down.

After the assembly was over and everyone dispersed, the four Destruction Apprentices stayed behind in the training hall to practice for their test the next day. Brelyna decided to ask Onmund and Danielle, "What took you two so long up there on the roof?"

They both tried to keep a straight face as Danielle replied, "I was just telling him what I told you guys. About me moving back in."

"Oh," she replied, but didn't seem to buy it. She didn't pry any further, though. "I'm really glad you moved back in, though. We can hang out again!"

"I'm really glad, too," she replied. "I missed being with my friends!" She gave all three of them big smiles.

Onmund smiled back at her, thinking, _I can't even express how happy I am now. I've got my old best friend back. And…now she's all mine._ He hoped that he could get another moment alone with her again soon. Keeping their relationship a secret wasn't easy when all he wanted to do was hold her tight and kiss her to pieces.

After practicing their spells, the four of them went back into the Hall of Attainment to have dinner together. It was beyond surreal to have the fourth member of their group back in their midst again and the other three were happy to catch her up on all of the student gossip and general happenings. After dinner, everyone decided to go their separate ways, but Onmund asked his new girlfriend, "I'm going to do some studying in the Arcaneum. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure," she answered, smiling politely, but he noticed the gleam in her eyes.

Together, Onmund and Danielle walked over to the Arcaneum and once they went inside, Danielle quickly climbed up the steps to peer around the corner and then she descended down to Onmund again where he took her into his arms and they exchanged many fervent kisses there on the stairwell.

As Danielle pulled back from him after one of their many kisses, her eyes roved cautiously around her and she whispered, "We'd better stop. We're going to get caught."

"You're right," he said sheepishly, taking his hands off of her waist. "Someone could walk in at any moment."

She smiled mischievously at him and said loudly, "Come on, study partner! Let's go do some serious work!" She then began ascending the stairs, and with a grin, Onmund followed her up.

They sat down at their usual table and got their books out to study.

"Do you still remember the day you came to my defense in front of those four elves that were bothering me?" she asked him quietly.

"I remember that," he replied. "I couldn't believe those guys."

Danielle gave him a warm smile and said, "I thought that was very sweet and brave of you."

Onmund smiled, and reached over the table to take hold of her hand. "You know, I still have that Malachite Ore you gave me. I've carried it around ever since."

"Really?" she asked. "I still have that Daggerfall shawl you gave me. It's too big to carry around but I'll have to find an occasion to wear it."

"I bet you'd look beautiful in it," he remarked, lightly stroking her delicate knuckles.

She gave him a shy smile. "Thank you."

Suddenly, a noise from the other end of the Arcaneum startled them, so Onmund let go of her hand and they immediately looked back down at their books. It was just Urag putting some books away, though. But it was a reminder that they had to keep their displays of affection under wraps.

When it was time to go back to their rooms for the night, they put their books away and headed out of the Arcaneum, but not before stealing a few more kisses in the stairwell. Onmund sort of got a kick out of sneaking around and stealing kisses during secret moments, but at the same time he also wished that he could visibly show his affection towards Danielle. They walked back to the Hall of Attainment together and parted ways once inside. There were too many people around to steal more kisses so they just simply said "good night" to one another and then went to bed.

* * *

_The skirting around is now over! Onmund and Danielle have officially become an item! So what's in store for the mages now? Stay tuned, as this story isn't quite over yet!_


	30. Promotion

The next day, Onmund woke up in a good mood. He joined Danielle, Brelyna, and J'zargo in the training hall, ready to face Tolfdir's tests again. First, they started off with J'zargo's do-over of his recreated Flame Cloak spell. He cast the spell and was completely engulfed in flames, but this time, the flames didn't harm him, and he passed the test. Then, Brelyna got the chance to show off her recreated Oakflesh spell. She had brought a piece of animal hide which she had Danielle hold in front of her, and then she proceeded to take out a dagger. Onmund nervously watched as she struck the hide, and while the blow caused Danielle to reel back a bit, the hide was impenetrable! She passed her test, as well.

Now, it was Onmund's turn to correctly demonstrate his Lightning Rune. Tolfdir gave him five seconds to cast the rune, which he did, and then the professor conjured up a thrall to test it. The thrall walked over the rune, and in an instant, went up into a ball of electricity and disintegrated on the spot. Onmund was triumphant.

"You all pass!" Tolfdir proclaimed happily, and he gestured for them to come closer. Now with his students gathered around him, he declared to them, "Since all four of you have shown mastery of Appentice-level spells and beyond, you are all hereby graduated to the Adept level! Congratulations!"

The four students all looked at each other in disbelief and joy. "Really?! Oh, I'm floored!" Brelyna exclaimed.

"This is great!" Onmund agreed. _Wow! Who knew I'd be Adept Sorcerer already?_ he thought with excitement.

"Let's meet back here after lunch," Tolfdir said. "I will distribute your new robes then."

"Sounds good," Danielle replied happily, and the four students went out of the hall.

They all started heading back to the Hall of Attainment together, but then Onmund had an idea. "Hey guys. Whaddya say we all go to the Frozen Hearth for lunch? Let's celebrate!"

"Yeah! That's a great idea!" Brelyna agreed.

"I'm up for that," Danielle chimed in.

"We shall celebrate," J'zargo said in a spirited manner.

With that, the four new Destruction Adepts made their way across the bridge into town. Onmund was on a high, so he didn't quite realize what he was doing when, as they were walking on the snowy path, he walked over to Danielle on the other side of Brelyna and grabbed her in a playful but affectionate hug, shouting, "Adepts! We're Adepts!"

Danielle smiled and laughed sheepishly and put her hand on Onmund's arm as they kept walking. Brelyna gave both of them a look of surprise but didn't say anything at first. When they went into the inn, the four of them all sat at a table together with Onmund and Danielle on one side and Brelyna and J'zargo on the other. Haran came over to them and asked, "What are we all having today?"

"Drinks, anyone?" Onmund asked the group.

"Just some tea and grilled leeks, please," Brelyna responded.

"J'zargo will have some mead!" J'zargo declared. "And some venison stew."

"I'll have that, too," Danielle piped up.

"I'll have Ale with venison stew," Onmund said.

"All right, I will bring your drinks first thing," Haran said and left them.

Onmund looked at Danielle in amazement. "Mead, huh? You're more of a Nord than I am!"

Danielle laughed and gave him a playful look. "Only because _you_ turned me on to the stuff."

This time, Brelyna really gave them a suspicious look. "You two seem really giddy today," she remarked. "You guys are really happy to be promoted, huh?"

"Yes," Danielle replied, giving her friend a slightly sly smile. "We _are_ very happy about that."

Just then, Haran showed up with the drinks they ordered. Onmund poured everyone's drinks into their respective tankards and they all raised them. "To the four most awesome Destruction mages in Winterhold!" he declared.

"And most good-looking," J'zargo added.

"And toughest," Danielle chimed in.

"And smartest!" Brelyna said.

"To all that!" Onmund said again, and everyone clinked their mugs together before chugging them down.

"By the way, J'zargo was only talking about himself," J'zargo said after he had taken a big swig of his mead.

It took a second or two before the others realized what he meant, and then it sent Onmund and Danielle into an uproar. "Keep talking, cat. The one who boasts the loudest is usually the most insecure!" Danielle jabbed.

"Ohhh, ouch!" Onmund exclaimed. "Burned by the fire mage!"

"Oh, yeah?" J'zargo challenged. "This one has _hundreds_ of girlfriends waiting for him at home. How many are waiting for Striker? One? Two? Zero?"

Letting out a laugh, Onmund gave his buddy a triumphant look and said, "As a matter of fact, I don't _need_ someone to wait for me at home. 'Cause I've got someone right here!" He laid a heavy hand on Danielle's shoulder. "What do you say to that? 'Ey, Stunner?"

"I didn't know you guys were…dating!" Brelyna jumped in. "Since when?"

"Since…yesterday," Danielle answered.

"Oh…" she responded. She then smiled and declared, "I knew you two would end up together eventually."

"Danielle, you agreed to let this fool be your boyfriend?" J'zargo teased.

"Hey!" Onmund cried angrily.

Putting her hand on Onmund's chest, Danielle shot back, "This _fool_ you speak of has been a really great friend to me. I _like_ having him as my boyfriend. And…" she looked up into Onmund's eyes with an affectionate look and added, "I find him very handsome."

Onmund felt his cheeks turn pink as he said "thank you" to her, and turned to give J'zargo a smug look.

"J'zargo is going to be sick," the Khajiit mage quipped, shaking his head.

"It's adorable," Brelyna gushed. "But…what are you guys going to do about Tolfdir? I don't think I've ever heard of two students in the same class date each other."

"We're going to keep it a secret," Danielle answered. "And you and J'zargo must help us."

"Yeah, something tells me that Tolfdir wouldn't approve," Onmund agreed.

"I won't tell anyone," Brelyna promised. "You too, J'zargo, okay?"

"Very well," J'zargo replied. "This one can keep a secret. But you'd better keep the mushy stuff to yourselves!"

"Aww, is J'zargo lonely?" Danielle teased. "Perhaps he would like a girl of his own, too."

Onmund giggled, and J'zargo growled.

Haran finally brought them their hot meals, so the talking and teasing slowed down as they gobbled up their food. When they were finished, they paid for their meals and then headed back to the College.

Tolfdir greeted them in the Hall of Elements and presented them with their new Adept Robes, which were brown and tan with a brown hood. The students were absolutely ecstatic to receive them and left the hall to go back to their respective rooms and change into them. Onmund changed into his new robes once in his room, and as he looked down at himself, admiring the intricate designs on the fabric, he thought, _Wow. I've accomplished so much here at the College! I've learned many new spells, made new friends, and even…made a girlfriend! Now that I'm an Adept, I can truly call myself a mage. I wonder what my family would think?_ Suddenly, he found himself thinking about his parents back at home, and with the thoughts came a distant feeling of longing and nostalgia. He felt an urge to write them another letter and tell them about his exploits, but he remembered that they hadn't even responded to his first letter, so he felt a little disappointed. _Why haven't they written back?_ he wondered. _Surely they haven't…disowned me and thus are ignoring me._ The thought of his family disowning him was somewhat hurtful. Sure, they were at odds with him about learning magic and joining the College, and he did leave them on bad terms, but…he was still their son. _If only they could see me now, _he thought longingly. _If only they could know what I have learned and what I have accomplished, then they might be able to put their reservations aside and appreciate me for what I am. _He looked across the hall towards Danielle's room, but he didn't see her. She was most likely out of view, changing into her robes, as well. He then thought to himself, _Wouldn't it be something if my parents got to see Danielle, as well? To meet the woman whom I've fallen in love with face-to-face?_ He smiled to himself, thinking back to the dream he had about showing her his home village. Just then, he heard a knock on his doorway. He looked up and saw J'zargo and Brelyna standing there.

"Hey, Striker, let's go shoot some sparks in the training hall!" J'zargo said. "These robes give us more magicka and I want to see how strong this makes Khajiit!"

"Where's Danielle?" he asked them.

Brelyna smirked at J'zargo and remarked, "How cute. He asks about her first." As J'zargo shook his head in disbelief, she said to Onmund, "She's going to stay in here for a bit," Brelyna replied. "Said she wanted to learn a new spell really quick before testing it out."

"Oh, all right," he replied. "Then, I'll catch up with you guys later, too."

Brelyna gave him a knowing look but didn't say anything and J'zargo piped up, "You know, this one thinks you need to learn a thing or two about female, novice. Take it from Stunner- if you want her to desire you, then you must not follow her around so much."

"Well taken, Adept of _romance_!" Onmund teased. "But really, I'll catch up with you guys later. There is something I need to do."

"Whatever you say," J'zargo replied, and he and Brelyna left the hall.

Now alone, Onmund chuckled at his friend's unsolicited love advice. _That guy is too much, _he thought. It was true that he wanted to stay behind so that he could get a moment alone with Danielle, but another matter that he wanted to take care of right away was to write another letter to his family. He sat down at his table and got out a roll of paper and a quill. On the paper, he wrote another short letter:

_Dear Ma and Pa,_

_Did you get my first letter? I am here at the College of Winterhold. I am now an Adept Sorcerer. That means I am really good at magic. I hope you are proud of me, and I hope you are well. Write soon._

_Love, Your Son,_

_Onmund_

He put the letter into the envelope and then stood up to put it on his nighstand until he was ready to take it over to the Frozen Hearth to have it picked up and delivered. Just then, he heard a rasp, "Onmund! You're still here!"

He looked up at the sound of the voice and saw Danielle standing at her doorway, looking at him. He gave her a smile and then put a finger to his lips. Without a word, he then gestured for her to come to him. She grinned and looked to her left and right first before crossing the hall and dashing over to his room. He saw that she was wearing her new Adept Robes, as well. "Can you believe it?" he whispered to her. "We can finally call ourselves full-blown Destruction mages, now!"

"It's unreal," she whispered back. "This has been my dream for so long."

"Mine, too," he replied, putting his hands on her waist.

She tentatively reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and asked, "Are we really alone in here?"

"Well, Brelyna and J'zargo went back to the training hall," he told her. "And I didn't see Tolfdir come back here so…yeah. I'd say we're alone in here. On _this_ floor, anyway."

"Alone enough," she declared, her eyes twinkling.

Feeling giddy, he lowered his head and kissed her, pulling her as close as he could to him. He felt her reach up and push back his hood, and then her fingers were in his hair, gently running them through it, and it felt very nice. He reached up and pushed back her hood as well and put his hand on the back of her head, pressing her towards him. Their kisses became more fervent and he could feel the heat rise to his cheeks as his arousal became harder to contain. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, feeling almost hypnotized by them. His heart was beating a mile a minute and he tried to calm down. "Um, we probably shouldn't…get too carried away," he said in a husky voice.

"I know," she breathed back. She then slowly let go of him and pushed her hair out of her face. "We must be careful." She then added shyly, "I should head back to my room now."

"Wait," he stopped her. "I want to show you something first."

She looked at him expectantly, and he picked up the envelope from his nightstand. Opening it up (he hadn't sealed it yet), he took out the letter and showed it to her. "I wrote another letter to my parents. Tell me what you think."

She tentatively took it from him and unfolded it. After reading it silently, she handed it back to him. "It's a good letter," she said. "Short. But that's okay."

"Well, I didn't know what else to say," he replied. "Except that I also met an amazing woman."

Danielle smiled humbly. She then asked, "Did they ever respond to your first letter?"

"No. I'm starting to wonder if maybe it got lost or something. I don't think my family would just ignore me. I _hope_ they wouldn't."

"I don't think they would ignore you, no. It probably _was_ lost."

Onmund let out a sigh. "I wish I could tell them more. I can only say so much in a letter. I especially want to apologize to them for leaving them on such bad terms. While I'm glad that I came here, I just think I've could've handled my departure better."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," she urged. "You can't change the past."

"But I can at least apologize right?" he asked. "I didn't feel good about myself until I apologized to you."

Danielle nodded in understanding, and then sighed. "Have you ever thought about going back?"

Onmund looked at her curiously. "Going back? Home, you mean?"

She nodded again. "To visit."

"Well, I…I don't know. Sure," he answered. In truth, he hadn't really thought about it at all. "I mean, it wasn't something I considered doing until I finished the Destruction school, I think."

"Falkreath is only a couple days' journey from here, isn't it?" she asked.

He gave her a sideways look. "What are you saying? You think I should go pay them a visit?"

"It might be better than a letter," she suggested.

He blinked a couple of times and pondered over the matter for a few seconds. _She's right, _he thought. _I could just go back there and pay them a visit. And then I could tell them everything that's been on my mind. I can't express everything I want to express in a letter and it's not even guaranteed to reach them, anyway._ "Well…if I go visit them…you're coming with me." He smiled at her.

"Oh, Onmund…" she started. "I'll be happy to go with you if I have to, but-"

"If you _have_ to?" he questioned incredulously. "I _want_ you to! And I want you to meet them, as well."

She smiled sheepishly. "I would be…honored to meet your family. But I want you to have the opportunity to talk to them, as well, without my interfering."

"I will," he assured. "And you won't interfere." He then took both of her hands into his own and said softly, "Come with me. Please."

She sighed and then responded quietly, "Okay. I'll go with you to see your family."

Smiling happily, he said to her, "All right. I'll have a talk with Tolfdir when he gets back and see if we can get a few days' leave. Then, I will let you know."

"Okay," she replied.

"So shall we join the others in the training hall?" he asked her.

"We shall," she answered with a smile, so together they went to go join their friends.

The rest of the day passed by like any other, and Onmund got used to his new robes. They felt even lighter than his Apprentice Robes and they made his magic slightly more powerful. He didn't get a chance to talk to Tolfdir until the day was almost over, though, and when he did, the Master Wizard granted him and Danielle permission to be absent from the College for six days to go visit his family. They could leave as early as two weeks from today. Four out of the six days were going to be used for travel, so that meant he would only have two days to spend time with his family, but that was all right with him. Tolfdir was also under the understanding that Danielle was going with him simply as a travel partner, since he forbade anyone to venture outside of Winterhold alone. But Onmund was excited, nonetheless. He couldn't wait to introduce her to his family. _I wonder what they'll think, though? _he wondered. _They'll probably wonder a little about me bringing home a Breton lady. But that's not my concern. They'll probably wonder why we aren't married. Which is a good question. Why _aren't_ we married?_ As far as he knew, Danielle was the woman of his dreams. He couldn't imagine loving or being with anyone else besides her. He could see them being together for life. He mulled over the idea for a bit and then went to bed that night dreaming about home.

* * *

_Little did Danielle know, being Arch-Mage wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Tolfdir made her do it before she was even ready. The melancholi-ness that Onmund had observed in her was definitely because of him. She was in love with him, too, but she also couldn't do anything about it at the time. Having to sneak around or not, at least they've now declared their love for each other (sort of) TO each other! And now at least Brelyna and J'zargo know. I figure there is no harm in revealing this but there are just 3 chapters left of this story!_


	31. The Great Search

The next morning, after class was over, the four Destruction Adepts stayed behind in the training hall to practice what they had learned while Tolfdir had to leave them to go take care of other business. Now that he was filling the responsibilities of Destruction professor, Master Wizard, and Arch-Mage all at once, he was _extremely_ busy. Before the students got too carried away, though, Danielle had an announcement to make.

"Arniel approached me before class this morning with another favor," she told them.

"More of his Dwemer investigations?" Brelyna asked.

"Yes," she replied. "This time he's looking for an ancient dagger called Keening. He was supposed to have it delivered from Morrowind but it had never arrived. We suspect that it might have been intercepted or perhaps that the courier bringing it in fell into some misfortune."

"And he wants _you_ to look for it?" Brelyna questioned.

"We've helped him so far," Danielle pointed out. "He just said to spend a few days combing the eastern border and asking questions of the townsfolk to find the artifact. If it doesn't turn up after this search, then we can give it up."

"The entire eastern border?" J'zargo questioned. "That's a lot of ground to cover!"

"That's why I need your guys' help," she said. "He most likely could have stopped in one of two places- Windhelm or Riften."

"She's right," Onmund piped up, hoping to come to her defense. "We can just ask around in those two cities to see if this courier passed through. Sounds straightforward enough to me."

"All right, well…J'zargo is always ready for adventure," J'zargo declared.

"Here's the plan, then," she said. "If you guys are ready to depart now, then we should leave as soon as possible. I've already spoken with Tolfdir about this journey. Arniel's suggestion was to spread the search out, so if two of us start in Riften and the other two start in Windhelm, then we can cover as much ground as possible and meet in the middle somewhere."

"Where? There are no other inns along the eastern border," Brelyna pointed out.

"We can meet in Ivarstead," Onmund suggested. "No matter what happens, after a certain amount of days have passed, we'll meet in Ivarstead."

"I'm good with that," Danielle replied. "You guys?" She asked the other two mages.

They responded in the affirmative, so the next question from J'zargo was, "When are we going?"

"Now," Danielle answered. "Let's go now. We can talk about the details as we walk."

With that, the four Destruction students went back to their respective rooms to pack up their stuff. Then, they all met in the training hall again and departed right away. As they walked along the road, Onmund stated, "So now we've got to decide who's going to Windhelm and who's going to Riften."

"I'm not too keen on venturing into Windhelm," Brelyna said. "I think you know why, and I hope you don't take that as an offense, Onmund, being a Nord and everything."

"No," Onmund replied. "No offense taken. I know what you mean, and I'd hate to say it, but you're right. I'm not even that comfortable going there as a mage, myself, but I probably am the best person to do so. I'm not exactly anxious to go to Riften, myself."

"Okay," Brelyna said. "I'm sure you'll want Danielle with you," she added with a pointed look. "So, J'zargo, do you mind going with me to Riften?"

"J'zargo does not mind," he said. "It's probably warmer down south, anyhow."

"All right then," Onmund replied. He then turned toward his Breton girlfriend and grinned. "You're stuck with me going to Windhelm, I guess!"

"Because _you_ want me to, or Brelyna wants me to?" Danielle teased.

"Both," he answered.

"Oh, how kind of you, Brelyna," she said to her friend. "You don't want us to be separated."

"For the record, neither does J'zargo," J'zargo piped up. "If this one ends up with Onmund, then he will have to listen to him talk about you nonstop."

Onmund blushed as Brelyna remarked, "How cute."

It was late afternoon when the Adepts reached the bridge that led into the gates of Windhelm, and Brelyna said, "All right. Good luck in there, you guys. J'zargo and I will head down to Kynesgrove and probably spend the night there. We'll then head south through Shor's Stone to Riften."

"And we'll head southwest to Ivarstead," Danielle explained.

"So see you all in Ivarstead in three days?" she asked.

"Yup, no matter what happens," Onmund replied.

"All right," she said, and the two groups parted ways.

Now alone with Danielle, Onmund turned to her and said, "I've never been inside Windhelm before. To tell you the truth, I don't know how well we'll be received as mages."

"Surely they've seen mages before," Danielle remarked. "Besides, if you are not afraid, then I'm not afraid."

He smiled down at her warmly and quipped, "All right. I won't be afraid. For you."

She smiled and threaded her arm through his and together, they entered the city.

Windhelm was the oldest city in Skyrim, and full of history. Onmund could see it, from the dark and worn stone walls and mix of new and old buildings. As they walked further in, they saw a bald, elderly man with a thick beard carrying an axe walk by. Onmund stopped him, asking, "'Scuse me, sir. Can you tell us where the inn is?"

"Candlehearth Hall is right here in front of you," the man answered in a raspy voice, pointing with his axe to the large building beside him, not far from the gate. "You come from Winterhold?"

"Uh, yes," he replied.

"Then go right on in," the man gestured to him and his female companion. "Get yourselves warm. I happen to be a cook there. Just out chopping more wood."

"Thank you, sir," Onmund said and led Danielle into the inn. _So far no animosity towards me or my mage girlfriend, _he thought with relief.

"Come in travelers," a voice greeted them as they removed their hoods and shook the snow out of them. It was the innkeeper standing behind the counter. "Sit down and get warm. Got some fresh-baked bread and good cheese, if you're after a bite to eat."

Onmund and Danielle gratefully sat down at the counter in front of the lady innkeeper. She introduced herself as Elda and gave them some bread and cheese at their request. "You mages from the College?" she asked them as they ate in front of her.

"Yes, ma'am," Onmund replied. "We actually came here looking for something."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Was there a courier who happened to be passing through here from Morrowind?" Danielle asked her. "He would've been heading for Winterhold."

"A courier from Morrowind?" Elda questioned, scrunching her face. "No. There have been no such travelers passing through here, I'm afraid. Someone who was from Morrowind would not come stay here, anyway, if they knew what was good for them."

Onmund had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something back. He knew that racism against dark elves was rampant in a city like this. _Poor Brelyna would've been torn apart in this city. It's a good thing we didn't bring her along._

After they finished their meal, Elda asked them, "Would you like a room for the night? There're a couple of beds for rent on the ground floor."

"Sure, we'll take them," he said to her. Now that they had pretty much determined that the courier they were looking for had not passed through here, they had nothing left to do in the city. In the morning, they would head out again and head southwest.

"I'll show you to your rooms then," Elda said, coming out from behind the counter. "Right this way."

Just then, the front door flew open and a young, lanky Nord man stumbled in. "Elda!" he shouted. "Some mead!"

"All right, Rolff, just give me a minute while I show these guests to their rooms," she replied somewhat impatiently.

A look of disgust washed over the young man's face as he sauntered towards the counter. But as he walked by, he did a double-take at the two mages and then suddenly came towards them.

"Rolff, have a seat," Elda repeated. "I'll be with you shortly."

Ignoring her, Rolff walked right up to Onmund with a scowl and studied his face. "You…" he snarled. "You a magician?"

Onmund looked down at the scowling face. The man was actually shorter than him. "I'm a _mage_," he replied uncertainly.

"What's a Nord like you doing playing with magic?" he questioned. "That stuff's for the pointy-ears."

"Rolff, that's enough," Elda scolded. "Leave my customers alone."

Ignoring her again, Rolff spat to the side and declared, "I bet I can take you. Whaddya say, fellow Nord? One hundred septims says I can punch you back where you came from."

Onmund warily raised his hands defensively and said, "Hey, you can keep your money…" And in that instant, he felt Rolff's fist fly towards his face, landing hard across his lip.

Elda and Danielle screamed and held onto him as he reeled back from the blow. "Rolff, stop it!" he heard Elda scream.

Rolff just laughed and mocked, "Ha! Some son of Skyrim _you_ are."

At this, Onmund became incensed. Uttering a growl from the depths of his throat, he broke out of Elda's and Danielle's hold and lunged at the man. The two women tried to intervene, but the men ignored them and went at it with each other. Even though Rolff had punched him on the lip hard, for the most part he was mostly bark than bite. He was so drunk that he kept missing most of his punches, and Onmund got a few good swings at him. Before very long, though, a tall and muscular man wearing Steel Armor jumped in and pushed Rolff out of the way, shouting, "Hey, sober up, you whelp! You scare away all the customers from this tavern and pretty soon you'll have no tavern to drink in!"

Bruised and bleeding, Rolff growled at him, but didn't dare challenge the muscly warrior. Instead, he just grumbled and sauntered back outside. The warrior turned to Onmund, whose lip was now bleeding and knuckles felt sore, and said, "Really sorry about that, brother. You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, despite the pain. But in truth, he had felt much worse pain before, like when he had an ice spike driven through his leg and electrocuted by Morokei.

The man laid his large hand on his shoulder and laughed, "Hey, I'd say you showed him who's boss. Not very many mages I've seen who can throw punches like that with his bare fists." He then extended his hand out. "Name's Stenvar. I'm a travelling mercenary propping my feet up in this ancient city. I'm originally from Falkreath, though. And you?"

"I'm Onmund," he answered, shaking the guy's hand. "I'm from Falkreath, as well. Half-Moon Farm to be exact."

The man smiled and nodded. "Well met, kinsman! This your wife?"

Feeling his face grow warm, he shook his head. "Um, no. My girlfriend, Danielle."

"Nice to meet you, Danielle," he said, shaking her hand, as well.

She smiled back and said, "Nice to meet you, too. Thank you…for what you did."

"Pfft," Stenvar dismissed. "I just got rid of that nuisance. Your boyfriend here held his own just fine. But listen. You guys ever need a reliable mercenary then I'm your man. I'll even cut my price in half since I like ya."

"Thanks," Onmund replied. "We'll be leaving town tomorrow, though. I appreciate it."

"No problem," Stenvar said. "Talos guide you."

He then left them and Elda looked at the two mages in amusement. "You ready to settle in now?" she asked them.

"We're ready," Onmund replied.

"I am so sorry about that Rolff character," Elda apologized when she had brought them into their room. "He comes in everyday and all he does is get drunk and complain about the elves. His brother, Galmar, works directly for Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak, so I don't understand why he can't make better use of himself." She then inspected Onmund's lip closely and clicked her tongue in pity. "Want me to run out and get some healing potions from our alchemist for you? I won't charge you for it."

"There's no need," he said to her, and then gestured towards Danielle. "She and I know some spells offhand that can fix this right up. But thanks for the offer, though."

Elda raised her eyebrows and replied, "Well! You mages really _are_ something else! All right, I'll leave you two alone, then. Let me know if there's anything else you need." She then smiled and left them.

Now, Onmund sat down on one of the beds and gingerly touched the cut on his lip. Danielle sat down beside him and said gently, "Let me see."

He turned towards her and she put his hands on his chin to look at the cut more closely. She then put her hand on his forehead as if to start a healing spell, but Onmund gently pushed her hand away and said, "Wait. While I'd love for you to heal me, can I try it myself, first? I need to get the hang of this spell."

Danielle slowly lowered her hands and said, "Okay. Go ahead."

Onmund raised his right hand up and channeled the Healing spell that he had learned and then put his other hand over his mouth. He spoke the incantation as he remembered it in his mind and the spell began to work. When he had finished, he took his hand away and noticed that he no longer felt any pain, either on his mouth or on his knuckles. He looked at Danielle triumphantly. "I did it! I can perform Healing correctly!"

She smiled at him. "Good job. You still have some blood on your lip, though. Hold on." She then got up and walked over to the wash basin in the corner. She dipped the towel sitting beside it into the water and brought it back to him, and he sat still as she wiped the residual blood off of his face. "I never understood why Nords have to solve everything by fighting," she quipped.

"It's the Nordic way," he said to her. "It's the way we are brought up. To die in battle is the most honorable thing that can happen to us. Most Nords even look forward to it."

"Do you?" she asked him.

"I don't look forward to dying," he said. "But if you think about it, is it such a foreign concept? To die doing what you love best? I mean, take us for instance. We're mages, so to die while using our magic for the greater good would theoretically be the best death for us."

With a sigh, she admitted, "I suppose there's a ring of truth to that. But the key is…for the greater good. Do you feel like you're using your magic for the greater good?"

This made Onmund think hard for a moment. It was a good question. He didn't necessarily join the College of Winterhold in order to fulfill some noble goal of helping others with his skills. It wasn't that he was selfish or cruel, but it just didn't cross his mind. But perhaps that was selfish in and of itself? He answered her truthfully. "No…do you think that makes me a bad person?"

"No," she shook her head and dried off his face. Not only had she wiped off the blood from his mouth, she had also wiped his face clean of all the dirt he had accumulated. It was an endearing gesture. She then looked off to the side, appearing in thought. "Sometimes, I asked myself that question when I had left the priesthood. Back when I was doing that, I was actually helping people. But like I told you before, I longed for more."

"There's nothing wrong with that," he assured her. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head up to look at him. "Besides, we _have_ helped people with our magic. Remember Kynesgrove?"

She smiled and slowly nodded. She then took Onmund's hand in her own and brought it to her lips, gently kissing each of his fingers. Her lips felt incredibly soft on his rough skin. He gazed at her lovingly, unable to take his eyes off her as she showered his hand with affection. His own lips were aching for hers, as well, though, so he lowered his hand and leaned forward to kiss her himself. He put both of his hands behind her head, digging his fingers into her hair as they were caught up in their passionate liplock. He felt her start to pull him forward as she leaned back towards the bed. Still with his eyes closed and kissing her, he felt her leg come up onto his lap and he placed his hand under her thigh to support her as she leaned further back to lay under him. His heart began to beat more rapidly as his need for her began to increase.

Suddenly, they heard the sound of glass breaking and some shouts coming from above them and they both sprang to a sitting position, afraid. The shouts dissolved into raucous laughter and they realized that it was the sound of the crowd on the floor above. Now well past dark, the inn had filled with drunken men and women and the noise was unbelievable. Onmund couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it until now. Music began to fill the air and soon, they could hear pounding on the floor above them as people got up and started dancing.

Danielle groaned and remarked, "We're never going to be able to sleep tonight."

"No, no, I don't think we will," he agreed.

With a sigh, she got up from the bed and made her way across the tiny room to the other bed. "I guess we have to try either way. Goodnight, Onmund."

"All right. Goodnight, Danielle." As the pounding on the floor above continued, Onmund blew out the candle beside him and lay back against his pillow, folding it over his ears to muffle the sound. He then turned over to his side and tried to sleep.

* * *

_Onmund and Danielle have another romantic moment that is interrupted too soon XD_

_I just want to ask Arniel, "How sane is it to expect a person to find a courier delivering Keening?" Sure, the game gives you a nice map marker that pinpoints his exact location, but that's just ridiculous!_

_So Half-Moon Farm is completely fictional, but I'm imagining Onmund as coming from a small farming village somewhere near Half-Moon Mill, hence the name I chose._

_I'm also having fun with J'zargo's character in this story, as well as Onmund's and Danielle's. It is funny that you mention "sequel" because that is EXACTLY what I have planned! Oops, did I say that? =X Well, the cat's out of the bag now! Yes, I do have a sequel planned, with at least 1 new character...but that's all I'll say for now!_


	32. Proposal

For the most part it was a sleepless night. The party going on upstairs seemed to last all night long, with singing and dancing and other loud noises. Everything seemed to die down sometime during the dark hours of the morning and the two mages finally got a little peaceful sleep. At one point, Onmund lay awake in his bed, wondering if it was time to get up. He heard Danielle stir in her bed on the other side of the room, and she finally sat up.

Onmund turned over to look at her and said softly, "Good morning, beautiful."

She turned towards him but it was too dark to see her face. "Good morning, handsome."

He smiled and then slowly got out of his bed. She followed suit and they converged in the center of the room to greet each other with a few kisses before gathering up their stuff. "Well, shall we head out now?" he asked her when they had everything.

"Yes, let's go," she replied, and followed him out of the room.

The main hall of the tavern was empty, so they just left a few septims on the counter as a tip, and then they went outside. A grayish light was showing in the east and heavy snowflakes were falling. Danielle shivered, so Onmund held her close to him as they exited the city and crossed the bridge. They followed the path south that ran along the western banks of the Darkwater River, and at one point he pointed to the plateau on the eastern side of the river and said to her, "Up there are some hot springs. Nord warriors like to go up there and relax in the healing waters after long battles."

"Have you ever been in them?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I suspect those waters feel pretty good, though."

After a while, the mages crossed the river over a bridge and came into a small settlement along its banks. It had a single farmhouse, a few tents arranged in a circle nearby, and a mine. As they entered the settlement, several of the inhabitants looked up and saw them. Onmund saw a little girl look up at them in surprise, drop what she was doing, and run to an older lady. "Mama!" she exclaimed. "There are mages here!"

Two tall soldiers dressed in Stormcloak garb walked up to them and one of them asked, "What is your business here, mages?"

"We don't mean any disturbance," Onmund proclaimed warily. "But we just wanted to inquire whether a courier passed through here on his way to Winterhold."

The soldiers looked at each other and then back at Onmund. "We've seen no such courier."

"All right, thanks," Onmund said to him and then he and Danielle turned to leave.

"Halt!" the Stormcloak soldier shouted to him.

The two mages froze and turned back around to face him.

"Where is this courier coming from?" the soldier asked them.

Onmund opened his mouth to respond, but wasn't sure if he wanted to tell him the truth.

"From Riften," Danielle quickly responded. "We had ordered a supply of enchanted items from there, but we haven't received them yet. So…it looks like we will just have to go pick them up ourselves."

"Very well, then," the soldier replied. "You'd best be on your way then. We've got nothing of interest to you here in this mining town."

"Thank you very much," she said to him, and they left them.

Onmund's pulse immediately began winding down as they crossed back over the bridge, leaving the settlement out of sight. "Thank you for your quick thinking there!" he remarked, putting his arm on her shoulder and pulling her close to his side. "I didn't see those soldiers there until it was too late. Who knows what they would've done if we told them that the courier was actually coming from Morrowind?"

"It probably wouldn't have mattered," she surmised. "But I didn't want to take any chances of being detained."

"Me neither," he agreed. "Any mention of Morrowind or its inhabitants seem to stir up a lot of suspicion and animosity among Nords. You're a lifesaver!"

"You're welcome," she smiled.

He laughed and leaned down to kiss her. As they walked further along, he said to her, "I don't think we'll make it to Ivarstead before it gets dark. We're going to have to make camp somewhere."

"Uh-oh. Are you going to 'hunt' again?" she teased.

Onmund shook his head shamefully. "I _still_ feel guilty for killing that rabbit the way J'zargo and I did. I should probably practice my archery again."

"Don't worry," she assured. "I don't mind eating what I brought. Do you have enough food?"

"I've got enough," he confirmed. "I'm fine with just my bread and cheese."

Soon, they found a good spot to set up camp. First, they set up the hide tent that Onmund brought along. Then, as he had done before, he gathered and broke up some dead branches and piled them up so that Danielle could work her magic (literally) and start a campfire. Within a couple of hours, they had a mini-settlement all built up. They both sat at the fire and ate their bread and cheese as the night chorus around them went into full swing, talking and laughing together like old times.

When they had finished their meager meal, they just sat and watched the fire in silence. Onmund scooted closer to Danielle and wrapped his arms around her, glad to have his best friend with him throughout the night. After a while, she declared that they should probably call it a night, so he said to her, "All right. Let me throw some more wood into the fire and we'll turn in." They both stood up and he went to go get some more wood. After he had thrown some into the fire and got it burning brightly again, he joined Danielle in front of the tent where she stood, watching him, and said to her, "It'll be pretty cramped in that tent with the two of us. I can sleep outside if you want more room."

She smirked at him. "Don't be ridiculous, Onmund. I don't mind being cramped with you." She then gave him a flirtatious smile, and his heart began to race.

He gazed down at her lovingly, but her face was partially obscured by her hood, so he gently pushed it back and down to her shoulders, admiring the Breton beauty standing before him. She mimicked the gesture and pushed his hood away from his head, and then her lips met with his. Enjoying her sweet kiss, she pulled away too soon, but then he was surprised when she brought her face to his again and began kissing along his lower jaw down to his neck. His skin was more sensitive there and the feeling was electrifying, just like it had been in his dream. Desire began boiling up from the depths of him once again and this time there was no excuse to stop it. He tilted his head towards her and began kissing her more passionately, trailing his lips down the side of her face like she had done with him down along her neck. He heard her sigh, which awoke an acute carnal sense within him. He reached up and removed the buckle from her shoulder that was holding the outer part of her robe in place and began unraveling the fabric. He turned her around and the fabric loosened. Now with her back to him, he kissed along the side of her neck some more and began pulling the robe off of her shoulders, revealing delicate skin as soft and smooth as clay. She uttered more sighs of pleasure as he continued planting gentle kisses down her bare, right shoulder, pulling the robe further down as he went. She shed the fabric off of her and for Onmund, it was a wholly new and exciting experience as he ran his hands along her bare skin, feeling every soft curve of his lover's body. She now turned around and faced him, and began removing his robes, as well. He helped her with the buckles and then eagerly shed all the layers of his thick robe, his heart pounding and breath quickening as his desire for her could not be contained much longer.

She took his hand and pulled him into the tent with her and lay on the ground, embracing him as he climbed on top of her to shower her with more kisses. They began to make love, and for Onmund, there was no other experience comparable and he had never felt so close to her as he did then. Afterwards, he lay with her on the bedroll and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Onmund opened his eyes as light began showing in the tent the next morning, and he remembered that he still had his girlfriend in his arms. They lay in a spooning position, and he squeezed her tight as he smiled to himself, thinking that this was the best feeling ever. He kissed her along the nape of her neck, and this caused her to stir a little as she was gently being coaxed awake. He heard her sigh groggily but her voice sounded content as she murmured, "Onmund…"

"Good morning, love," he said softly into her ear.

"Good morning," she breathed back, placing her hand over his which was on her belly.

He planted some more kisses along the back of her neck and shoulders, relishing the softness of her skin, and he sighed, "I wish we could wake up like this _every_ morning."

"Me too," she agreed.

"Really?" he asked her, as the wheels in his head began turning.

"Mmhmm," she replied. "You feel so warm."

He continued to talk softly into her ear, "You know it _could_ happen."

"What could happen?"

"This. Waking up like this every morning."

"How's that?"

"If…you married me…"

There was a moment of silence, and he began to worry that he may have said too much. But then, she turned around and faced him now, studying his eyes. "What are you saying, Onmund?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm asking you to marry me," he replied. "Will you?"

Slowly, her face broke out into a smile, and to top it off, she uttered, "Yes. Yes, I will marry you!"

He couldn't help but smile wide himself. She threw her free arm over him and he squeezed her tight, feeling like he was on top of the world, now. They lay like that in the tent for a long while, enjoying amorous moments here and there before they got up to continue their main mission. They didn't forget about their two friends, J'zargo and Brelyna, who were probably wandering around somewhere in the Rift in search of the same courier that they had been inquiring about. They wondered if they perhaps had better luck than they had finding him. Nonetheless, it was time to pack everything up and head on to Ivarstead to wait for them. Then, they could also tell them about the good news that they were planning to get married.

"We should arrange our wedding at the Temple of Mara as soon as we tell the others," Onmund said to his fiancée as they started walking up the path leading to Ivarstead. "I can't wait."

"You think they'll come with us, too?" Danielle asked. "Even though they were just _in_ Riften?"

"I hope they will," he replied. "It would be nice to have our friends be there for our wedding."

"Yes, it would," she said with a smile.

They finally reached Ivarstead by mid-afternoon, and they went and had lunch at the inn. They passed the time by shooting the breeze with Wilhelm, Lynly Star-Sung, and the various visitors coming in. Needless to say, no one there had seen or heard of a courier passing through on the way to Winterhold. When evening came, who should show up but none other than their two mage friends, J'zargo and Brelyna!

"You guys are back already?" Brelyna questioned, removing her hood and joining Onmund and Danielle at their table. "Did you find it? Did you find the parcel?"

"No," Danielle shook her head. "I take it you didn't either?"

"Dunmer and Khajiit searched all over the Rift but did not find it," J'zargo replied.

"Yeah. We asked around in Riften, Kynesgrove, and Shor's Stone but no one has seen or heard of a courier heading up to Winterhold," Brelyna explained.

Danielle sighed. "Unfortunately we had the same luck asking around in Windhelm and other places in Eastmarch."

"Well, that's strange," Brelyna remarked. "Maybe the courier never made it out of Morrowind, then."

"It's possible," she agreed.

"Then, I guess we should just head back and tell Arniel the bad news then," Brelyna sighed.

"Yes, but before we go back, there's something we oughtta tell you," Onmund piped up.

"What is it?" Brelyna asked.

Turning his head to Danielle and putting his arm over her, he asked her, "Do you wanna tell her, or me?"

"You go on ahead, darling," she said softly.

"What is this?" J'zargo questioned curiously.

"We're getting married!" Onmund proclaimed.

J'zargo's eyes widened and Brelyna gasped. "You are?" she asked. Then, she grinned. "That's _great_ news!"

"So!" J'zargo exclaimed. "Striker thinks he can handle being married! That's something."

"I can handle it!" Onmund cried.

"Then, the question is, can Danielle handle it?" he continued. "Especially with this boy?"

Danielle giggled and replied, "I don't know…perhaps we will see." She gave her fiance a jocular look, which made J'zargo and Brelyna laugh.

With a snort, Onmund stated ruefully to her, "Well, you still have time to back out."

She gave him a playful shove and cried, "I'm not backing out! I gave you my word and I'm sticking to it."

"Aww, I wish I was there when you proposed to her!" Brelyna gushed. "How did you do it? Did you just come right out and ask or was there some sort of big speech?"

Onmund exchanged glances with Danielle before answering, "Let's just say I eased her into it."

J'zargo snickered. "This one can't imagine how _that_ unfolded."

"So when will you have the ceremony?" Brelyna asked.

"Well, we're hoping to have it as soon as possible," Danielle replied. "We were thinking of heading to Riften tomorrow!"

"Riften? We were just there…" J'zargo declared.

"I know," Onmund acknowledged. "We want you to come with us but…if you don't then we understand. But we want to get married right away!"

"Don't be silly," Brelyna said. "Of course we'll go with you. Right, J'zargo?"

J'zargo sighed. "This one supposes he can venture back there. It wasn't a bad town."

"Then it's settled," Onmund declared. "We're getting married tomorrow!"

* * *

_One more chapter left! I got a suggestion to start posting some random trivias and artifacts from this story- things like interviews with various characters and such. So I want to solicit some feedback from everyone. If you have questions that you want to ask Onmund, Danielle, or any other characters from Fire and Lightning, please submit them! (I don't mind random-sounding questions, but please keep it clean, though). And also any other ideas for postings are welcome (I'll only do one-shot-type writings; I'm saving my serial writing chops for the sequel)._

_I admit I didn't care for magic or the College questline during my first playthrough of the game. But then I fell in love with Onmund and the rest of the characters after about a year and I just can't get enough of their universe now! Thank you for the comments!_

_I totally forgot about telling this story before, but during my actual playthrough of the battle with Morokei, Onmund ran out of magicka and instead of running away and hiding like he usually does, he started throwing punches at the powerful Dragon Priest! I was like, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Yes, it's hard to choose sides in the civil war when both sides have things you hate. But interesting that you bring THAT up too because here's another tidbit about the sequel- it won't be about the Dragonborn questline, but it WILL be centered around the civil war questline!_


	33. Bound Together, Now and Forever

The next morning, the four Adepts headed out from Ivarstead and walked to Riften. For Danielle, Onmund imagined that it must've brought back a lot of memories going back to the town she had spent a considerable amount of time in prior to joining the College. But for him, it was just a town that he had heard rumors about but had never really gone to. For one thing, he knew that the Thieves Guild had a prominent presence there as well as the rich Black-Briars.

They arrived in Riften by evening and went straight to the Temple of Mara. Danielle had an emotional reunion with everyone there and Onmund got to meet her former mentors in person. Maramal was the head priest along with his wife, Dinya. He found it interesting that Maramal was a Redguard and his wife was a Dunmer. For some reason, it made him feel like he had something in common with them because he was also in love with someone of a different race. He also met Briehl, another priest there, and who was a Nord. Onmund and Danielle soon told them of their intentions to get married there in the temple and they were all ecstatic. They arranged their ceremony to take place first thing the following morning and Maramal sold them a matching pair of special temple robes that they could wear for the ceremony and then he sent the mages off.

It was time to head to the inn and get some rest before their big day, and as they neared the inn, Danielle said softly to Onmund, "Onmund, I have to warn you. There's a chance we may run into Marcurio here."

"Oh? Okay," he replied. Remembering her other former mentor as well as suitor, Onmund was surprised that they hadn't run into him already. But he didn't want to ask out of respect.

"Don't worry," she assured. "If we see him, we will just say hello and go on about our business."

With a chuckle, he said in a dismissive manner, "Nonsense! You should at least talk to him a little bit. After all, he was your mentor."

"Well, okay," she replied uncertainly. "I will introduce you to him, then."

"I'd love to meet him," he said.

Once they went inside, the four mages removed their hoods and sat at a table to get warm and comfortable. An Argonian served them some food and drinks. At one point as they ate, Danielle put her hand on Onmund's lap and whispered to him, "That's him. The guy who just came in."

Onmund looked up and followed her gaze over to the southern entrance where he saw a young man dressed in Adept Robes just like they were who had stepped in from outside. He had tan skin and a dark brown ponytail, and he took a seat on the bench by the door. Onmund looked back at his fiancée and asked her, "Wanna go say hi to him?"

"Okay," she said reluctantly. "Let's go." She then said to Brelyna and J'zargo, "Please excuse us. We will be right back. We're going over to say hello to an old friend."

Onmund and Danielle got up from the table and then he followed her over to the Imperial mage. As they neared him, the man looked up at them, and then his face lit up in surprise when he recognized Danielle. "Well, well, well! Look what the horker dragged in!" He looked at her in amazement. "If it isn't Danielle! Still wandering all over Skyrim and causing trouble?"

Danielle chuckled uncertainly and answered, "Not exactly. I've been going to the College."

The man smiled and then gave her robes a once-over and remarked, "And I see you've moved up pretty quickly! Adept in Destruction now, huh?"

"Yes," she responded. She then quickly added in a different tone, "Marcurio, I want you to meet someone." She then stepped closer to Onmund and put her hands on his arm. "This is Onmund," and after a beat, added, "my husband-to-be."

Marcurio's eyes widened and he repeated, "Husband-to-be?" He then finally looked at Onmund for the first time and then back at Danielle. "Well! So you _have_ been up to all sorts of trouble!" He stood up and met Onmund eye-to-eye. "Well met, fellow mage," he said cheerily. With a smirk, he then added, "You know, _I_ had proposed to her once a while back. And she turned me down. I don't know what you did there, but congratulations on your conquest."

Onmund blushed furiously, unsure of what to say. He simply uttered, "Thanks…" _This guy sure is intense, _he thought. _I think I can see now why Danielle didn't quite get along with him._

"Well, I'm sure you two lovers have a lot of preparation to do. Getting married at the temple, right? I'd better let you go. It was good to see you again, Danielle."

"Good to see you, too," she said a little uncomfortably.

Marcurio sat back down on the bench and the couple left him, going back to join their friends. As they went back to their usual chatter, Onmund became somewhat quiet. Marcurio wasn't quite what he had imagined and he couldn't even begin to imagine how the guy would've gone about proposing to Danielle. He stole a glance at the Imperial mage, who was now talking and laughing with the Argonian server, and for a moment, he actually couldn't believe that he was getting married tomorrow and that the beautiful Breton woman sitting next to him was going to be _his_ wife. Marcurio seemed like a very charming and charismatic man, and with his lean and dark features, he resembled a _prince_. Onmund suddenly felt very self-conscious and unsure of himself.

When the College mages finished their dinner, they requested two separate rooms which were on the second floor. Onmund kissed Danielle goodnight before they parted ways and then joined J'zargo in their shared room. The Khajiit looked at him and cried, "What are you doing here? You should go back downstairs and party! Enjoy your last night of freedom, friend!"

"Yeah, I'm too tired for that," Onmund replied. "I'll probably fall asleep right away." He began to change into his nightshift.

"Striker is the skinniest Nord this one has ever seen," J'zargo remarked as he was shirtless. "You're built just like an elf!"

A little embarrassed by his comment, he responded hotly, "Well, it's because I'm a mage! I don't carry around those big, heavy weapons like my brutish brethren do!" He quickly put on his nightshirt and climbed into bed.

"J'zargo was only making fun," the Khajiit said. "But follow Khajiit advice: Blow out all the candles tomorrow night and leave them out."

"Why?" Onmund asked, not understanding.

"You don't want to spoil your woman's fantasies now, do you?" he jeered.

Understanding now what he meant, Onmund growled and cried, "J'zargo!" He grabbed his pillow and got ready to hurl it at him, but he just sneered at the Khajiit instead. "That's none of your business!"

J'zargo laughed heartily, and for him to laugh was a rare occurrence. "You know, why aren't you downstairs partying, yourself?" the Nord mage questioned.

"J'zargo will have plenty of opportunities to party," J'zargo answered. "As for you, this is the last opportunity you will get. And you are just letting it go to waste."

"Don't you remember what happened last time I got drunk?" he asked him. "I don't want to relive that again!"

J'zargo sighed and quipped, "Suit yourself."

Onmund grumbled to himself and turned over to his side. "Good night."

"Good night," J'zargo replied back and blew out the candle.

After a short while, Onmund fell asleep, wondering what tomorrow was going to be like.

The next morning, Onmund and J'zargo woke up and got dressed. Today was the big day. Onmund put on the robes that he had bought from Maramal. It was plain and blue- not like the fancy garb that a Nord would wear at a more expensive, traditional wedding, but it would do. They stood outside of their room until the door opened to Danielle and Brelyna's room, and the two women stepped out. Danielle stepped out in her blue robes and Onmund gazed at his beautiful wife-to-be.

"Well, what do you think?" Brelyna asked him.

Onmund struggled to form a response, but he finally said, "Beautiful. You look beautiful, love."

"Thank you," Danielle responded shyly. "You look amazing, yourself."

"Well, ready to get this over with?" Brelyna asked the couple.

They both nodded and took a hold of each other's hands.

"All right," she continued. "J'zargo and I will head to the temple ahead of you guys so just come in when you're ready." She and J'zargo then hurried downstairs leaving Onmund and Danielle who would follow them at a slower pace.

As soon as they stepped out of The Bee and Barb, Onmund felt Danielle squeeze his hand and say softly to him, "Well, this is it. After today we're going to be husband and wife."

He smiled and looked down to meet her gaze. Her eyes were sparkling. Once again, he couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Was she really all his? "Danielle…" he uttered. "Are you sure you still want to go through with this?"

"Yes, of course I do!" she replied, gazing back up at him earnestly. "Why?"

He sighed. "I don't know…I guess sometimes I still wonder how you managed to fall in love with a fool like me."

"Ohh, Onmund!" she chided, frowning. "You are not a fool! You are very smart. And very brave. There's no one else whom I would want to spend the rest of my life with."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," he responded with relief.

She smiled at him, and he relished the loving look in her eyes. "Let us go, darling," she urged. "I can't wait to start the rest of my life with you."

He smiled back and together they went to the temple to attend their ceremony.

Overall, it was a quick and humble ceremony. Maramal presided over their exchanging of vows and they each got rings to wear. They shared a kiss at the end, and then the deal was sealed. Together with his new wife and best friends, Onmund made the long trek all the way back up to Winterhold.

On the way, they had to stop in Kynesgrove to spend the night, and now being so familiar with all of the townsfolk there, there was a large celebration for the young couple's wedding, and Iddra had one of the rooms specially prepared for the couple, complete with a table full of wine, and flowers of various colors laid out on the bed. For Onmund, it was the perfect day, and it ended with the perfect night.

The next morning, they woke up to even more good news. Kjeld the Younger, the innkeeper's son, had found a man dead in the forest. The man had a wrapped parcel lying next to him with "Winterhold" written on it. Kjeld brought it back to Kynesgrove and showed his parents who then showed it to the mages. Even though no one knew where the man had come from or what had befallen him, the College students were sure that he was the courier they had been looking for and that the parcel contained the dagger that they sought after.

Danielle brought it into her and Onmund's room and J'zargo got ready to rip the wrapping open, but she stopped him, shouting, "Wait!"

J'zargo gave her a puzzled look and then she explained, "Arniel said that the dagger could be dangerous and not to touch it."

"How did he expect us to bring it back then?!" the curious Khajiit questioned.

"That's why it's wrapped up like it is now, right?" Brelyna asked. "Think it's safe that way?"

"I think it's safe like this, yes," she answered. "Is everyone ready to head back?"

"I'm ready," Onmund said.

The others agreed, as well, so they all headed back to the College, taking the parcel with them.

Arniel was ecstatic to receive the parcel, but to the students' disdain, he was unable to open it right away in order to verify the contents inside. "I must admit, I didn't think you'd find it," he told them. "And now that it's sitting right here in front of me, I'm afraid to open it because of the legends associated with this thing. It could mean sudden death if I touched it directly. But thank you all for your help. Once I figure out a way to wield it without taking getting harmed I will move on to the next step and let you know what happens."

Onmund and Danielle also told Tolfdir and everyone about their wedding and marriage. Few people were actually surprised, as they had witnessed the affinity between the two Destruction students to some extent, but Tolfdir had no idea what to do initially. "This is definitely a first at the College, for two students to get married _while_ they're enrolled in school. I do hope that both of you plan to continue with your studies."

"Absolutely," Onmund answered. "I wouldn't stop learning for the world!"

"Of course I am continuing," Danielle also chimed in. "I want to learn everything, too."

Then, in an unexpected gesture, Tolfdir offered to let them live in the Arch-Mage's Quarters! "At least until we get a permanent Arch-Mage. For now, you two are welcome to take up residence in those quarters."

Onmund and Danielle were ecstatic. By the end of the day, they had moved all of their stuff into their new home. With a snort, Onmund declared to her, "I feel like a real family man now. New wife, new home…now we just need some kids to fill this place up."

Danielle slapped him playfully on the chest and retorted, "Slow down, boy. I'm not popping out any kids until I finish this school at least."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I know, I'm just kidding. I don't want kids for a while either. I'd rather just have you for now."

She looked up at him and smiled before bringing him into a kiss. It was enrapturing and passionate, and when he pulled back for a moment, he felt like he was spellbound. She declared softly, "I'd rather just have you, too." Putting both of her hands on his chest, the side of her lip curled up into a smirk as she added, "Right now even."

He gave her a surprised look as she began pushing him in the direction of the big bed. He nearly tripped as she was somewhat forceful but he couldn't help but get a huge kick out of it. She pushed him down onto the bed and climbed on top of him, finally covering his mouth with hers in a feverish flurry of kisses as they practically started ripping each other's clothes off. She then made love to him, and he enjoyed every minute of it.

They lay there exhausted for a long time afterwards, happily lounging in their peaceful bliss as Onmund reflected on married life thus far. He had achieved everything he wanted to at this point- becoming an Adept in Destruction magic, marrying his best friend, and belonging to an elite group of scholars and mages who had also become his family. The only thing he had left to do was to make things right with his biological family. And he would get the chance to soon.

The remainder of the two weeks flew by quickly, and the time to take a trip down to his home village had finally come. Onmund and Danielle had a carriage called, and after they packed up their things, they said their temporary farewells to their friends and professor before going down to the end of the street in Winterhold and loading up onto the carriage. As he and his new wife got settled in, he began rehearsing his speech over and over again in his head. _Ma, Pa, I'm really sorry things ended badly when I first left you guys. But I came back to show you that I've been doing just fine. I came back to show you how successful I've been- how much I've accomplished. I understand if you don't approve, but more than ever I feel like I've done the right thing in joining the College. I want you to be proud of me. I want you to be proud of calling me your son._

"You nervous about going back?" Danielle asked him, breaking into his thoughts.

"A little," he admitted. He then took her hand in his own and said, "But I think they'll be delighted to meet you, though."

"I hope so," she replied.

Onmund smiled at his wife and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him as the carriage driver turned his head around to ask them, "You both settled in?"

"We're settled," he answered, and the driver nodded and turned back around. He clicked his tongue and the horses started off on their trot. Onmund kissed the top of Danielle's head and looked back at the College they were leaving behind them. They would only be gone for a little while, but for him, it felt like they were leaving for an entire lifetime. For some reason, he had a feeling that he was going to come back a completely different person and he couldn't quite put his finger on why. But the feeling wasn't unsettling at all. It was just something that he accepted. He had no idea what the future would hold, but now with his best friend at his side, he felt confident that he'd be able to handle whatever came.

_THE END_

* * *

_Well, here we are...the bad news is this story has come to an end, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Again, I really want to thank everyone who has read and followed/favorited this story and to all those wonderful people who wrote reviews! I have to say those really brighten my day! But I have good news, too, and it's that there will be a sequel! It is set to take place several months after the events of this story and will be centered around the Civil War questline. There will also be some new characters, both from the game and from my imagination! So if you want to be notified when I start posting chapters for the sequel, please Follow me! Until then, though, I'll take a brief break and post some miscellaneous material pertaining to Fire and Lightning- namely interviews with the characters and anything else that might be of interest. So please, PM or comment with your suggestions and interview questions and I will post them, hopefully no less frequently than on a weekly basis._

_I hadn't heard of the "Everybody Inside" mod until you just mentioned it now, and that DOES seem very useful! I've had to reload so many times whenever there was an attack on Riverwood because some good characters always got killed. I ended up playing both sides of the civil war and I can't say whether one was more fun than the other; I really liked both Hadvar and Ralof, I found both Galmar Stone-Fist and Legate Rikke annoying, and I kind of just "meh"-ed at General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak. Oh well...but I hope the sequel makes a compelling and interesting case for the side that Onmund and friends eventually choose...And thanks for the interview question! I will include that!_


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